Wildfire snaps up 'genre-defining' novel from South Korean writer Gu Byeong-mo

Wildfire, an imprint of Headline, has snapped up The Wizard’s Bakery, a "genre-defining Korean bestseller" by Gu Byeong-mo, translated by Jamie Chang. 

Senior commissioning editor Areen Ali acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, including audio, from Chiara Tognetti at Chiara Tognetti Agency on behalf of the Korean Copyright Centre and Changbi, a Korean publisher.

Originally published in South Korea in 2009, The Wizard’s Bakery will be published in English on 5th June 2025. 

Pitched as a "heartwarming and magical coming-of-age story", The Wizard’s Bakery follows a teenager who seeks refuge in a bakery after running away from home. The bakery is run by a wizard who, with the help of a "mysterious blue-haired shop assistance", bakes pastries "imbued with immense powers", including "madeleines to fix broken hearts, almond bars to unearth memories buried deep within, and cinnamon cookies for your worst enemies". However, "the power contained in the treats inevitably alters the order of the world and sometimes produces dramatic consequences for those who consume them, consequences that need to be weighed carefully".

Chang commented: "Seeking refuge inside the oven of a wizard baker, the boy learns a truth at once frightening and comforting: every spell cast comes at a price. Set in a culture where too much is forgiven in the name of family, The Wizard’s Bakery shows that the loyalty and friendship of a chosen family is thicker than blood."

Gu, whose novel Your Neighbour’s Tale has also been published by Wildfire, added: "The Wizard’s Bakery holds a special place in my heart as it was my debut novel in Korea. I was thrilled to see Your Neighbour’s Table, a story that delves into the subtle psychology of men and women, published by Wildfire. Now, I am even more grateful to introduce The Wizard’s Bakery, a work with an entirely different tone and subject matter." 

Ali said: "Upon reading the manuscript I fell in love with the darkly comic tone of this coming-of-age story, which truly sets it apart from other healing fiction novels."