Piccadilly Press signs new series from Andy Shepherd

Piccadilly Press has signed a new series, The Wood Where Magic Grows, from bestselling author Andy Shepherd illustrated by children’s book illustrator Ellie Snowdon. 

Emma Matthewson, executive publisher of children’s fiction, and Georgia Murray, commissioning editor at Piccadilly Press, acquired world all-language rights to two books from Jo Williamson at Anthony Harwood. The Wood Where Magic Grows will be published in paperback, e-book and audiobook in July 2025, alongside an exclusive indie hardback in June. It will be followed by the second instalment in June 2026. 

Piccadilly Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, described The Wood Where Magic Grows and its sequel as “an enchanting new middle-grade series about finding magic in the everyday from Andy Shepherd, the bestselling author of The Boy Who Grew Dragons series [Piccadilly Press]”. 

“The Wood Where Magic Grows is a story of friendship, imagination and being brave, all set in a treetop adventure-land,” the synopsis reads. “The first book follows Iggy and his brother Cal as they discover Wildtop Wood, an overgrown woodland at the bottom of their garden that they can’t wait to start exploring. Some say it’s not safe, some say it’s a place of wonderful secrets. But the best stories always contain a seed of truth, and who knows what might grow from them, with a bit of imagination?”  

Shepherd, who is based in Cambridge, said: “I grew up with a tree outside my bedroom window and it always felt like a friend, because so much changes as you grow up, but my tree stayed constant – and proved a very good listener.  

“I hope the story inspires readers to see the natural world as somewhere to explore and to play, as well as rallying them to protect it. Because you really won’t believe what nature gets up to when you’re paying attention.”  

Snowdon, who lives in South Wales, said: “From talking trees to wooden wild animals, I’ve been able to push my imagination while taking inspiration from the beauty of our own natural world. Andy’s story serves as a reminder of how we should nurture and protect the magic found within it.”  

Murray said: “A world bursting with wild imagination, where children’s agency is placed first and foremost, where kindness, hope and bravery abound – all in the most charming story of adventure high in the treetops, with Andy’s trademark tender realism and humour. This is a fresh, inclusive and vital The Magic Faraway Tree for a new generation.” 

Shepherd’s The Boy Who Grew Dragons series has been translated into 24 languages. The first book in the series was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Sheffield Book Award, and longlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award.