Pushkin Children's Books

 

Yiyun Li Wins Sunday Times Short Story Award

We are delighted to report that the great Yiyun Li has won the 2015 Sunday Times Short Story Award, for ‘A Sheltered Woman’. Li – who, among a universe full of other things, is the author of the ineffably beautiful The Story of Gilgamesh – fought off fellow nominees Elizabeth McCracken, Scott O’Connor, Paula Morris, Madeleine Thien and Rebecca F. John to win the prestigious award, which was judged by Andrew Holgate, Elif Shafak, Richard Eyre, Alex Clark and Aminatta Forna.

Elif Shafak said: ‘Amidst a diverse and dazzling shortlist, which made our job as jury members very, very difficult… Yiyun Li’s “A Sheltered Woman” has enchanted us with its exquisite crafting, brilliant observations and modest but powerful voice.’

Read the story now, here.

 

The Story of the Blue Planet Wins UKLA Award

Andri Snær Magnason‘s The Story of the Blue Planet (translated by Júlían
Meldon D’Arcy and illustrated by Áslaug Jónsdóttir) has won the UKLA Book
Award in the 7–11 Year Old Category. The prize is judged exclusively by
teachers, who were wowed by this magical modern fairy tale and the
fantastic reaction it received from teachers and schoolchildren – click
here to see what they said. Magnason’s success also marks the first time
that a book in translation won the award and adds to his previous
achievement of winning the prestigious Icelandic Literary Prize.

Find out more about the book here.

Click here to see our study pack for the book.

 

The Letter for the King: Book of the Year

"The Letter for the King" is a Book of the Year in the Sunday Times, Times and Metro

“The Letter for the King will get pulses racing… Pushkin Press deserves every praise for publishing this beautifully translated, well presented and captivating book”
Amanda Craig, The Times

“This 1962 pulse-pounding epic follows Tiuri, a young knight-candidate who breaks hits sacred vigil to heed a desperate cry for help. Translated from the Dutch for the first time, this old-school quest story will keep all high-fantasy addicts riveted from the first page”
Metro

“A fantasy about a 16-year-old medieval squire who finds danger, true friendship and first love on a mission to deliver a letter that can save a kingdom. The award-winning translator Laura Watkinson conveys its rich symbolism, vividness and economy of style”
Sunday Times

Click here to buy the book now!

 

Launching The Letter for the King

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands cordially invite you to celebrate the first English translation of The Letter for the King by 
Tonke Dragt – “the best Dutch children’s book of the 20th century”

All children are welcome to join us on Tuiri’s secret mission to deliver the letter to the King at

the Inner Temple Church 
on Saturday 23 November from 11.00 till 13.00

Feel free to come dressed up as a princess, king or knight to join in with the festivities. Have a drink and a bite to eat, win great prizes in the quiz, get your face painted and listen to Tuiri’s adventures in on one of our reading sessions. There will also be free copies of the book, courtesy of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

Please send your RSVPs to [email protected].

Click here for directions to the venue

 

Out Now: The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

A young messenger. A secret mission. A kingdom in peril...

“Gripping from its opening moment onwards, this award-winning book doesn't miss a beat from its thrilling beginning to its satisfying ending” Julia Eccleshare, LoveReading4Kids

The Letter for the King is the thrilling story of one boy’s battle against evil, set in an enchanted world of chivalry, courage and true friendship. Available for the first time in English, this classic children’s book by Tonke Dragt has been highly acclaimed, and a perennial bestseller, in the Netherlands and Germany.

It is the dead of night. Sixteen-year-old Tiuri must spend hours locked in a chapel in silent contemplation if he is to be knighted the next day. But, as he waits by the light of a flickering candle, he hears a knock at the door and a voice desperately asking for help. A secret letter must be delivered to King Unauwen across the Great Mountains – a letter upon which the fate of the entire kingdom depends.

Tiuri’s journey will take him through dark, menacing forests, across treacherous rivers, to sinister castles and strange cities. He will encounter enemies who would kill to get the letter, but also the best of friends in the most unexpected places. He must trust no one. He must keep his true identity secret. Above all, he must never reveal what is in the letter…

“A fast-moving, wonderful old-style adventure… cinematic in its visual detail… a European classic… far loftier than Harry Potter and beautifully presented in this most attractive edition” Eileen Battersby, Irish Times

Click here to read the first pages.

 

EVENT: Ali Smith and Jonathan Coe Launch “Save the Story”

Saturday, 26th of October at 10:30am, at Daunt Books Marylebone High Street

  

Join Ali Smith and Jonathan Coe at Daunt Books in Marylebone as they launch the new “Save the Story” series from Pushkin Children’s Books, ten volumes of classic stories retold for children. Smith’s The Story of Antigone and Coe’s The Story of Gulliver are among the first four titles published in the series. The books are out on October 24th, together with Dave Eggers’s The Story of Captain Nemo and Alessandro Baricco’s The Story of Don Juan.

Places are limited – to reserve your free ticket, email [email protected] or call 02072242295.

For more information about the event, click here.

For more information about “Save the Story”, click here.

 

‘The plot is central, and extrememly gripping, but the writing also delivers lovely detail and evocative description’

The Guardian Books reviewed The Letter for the King... and LOVED IT!!

Tiuri is about to be knighted but late at night, during a vigil in the parish chapel, a knock comes at the door. His instructions are clear. If he opens the door or talks to a soul, no matter the circumstances, his dreams of knighthood are over. Tiuri however, feels impelled – what if someone needs refuge? He is greeted by an out-of-breath messenger who desperately wants his help. Mystified, Tiuri agrees to deliver the letter he is given to a famous knight staying at a nearby inn. Little does he know that this seemingly short and easy journey will turn into a long, hazardous voyage of discovery, as a series of unfortunate events leads to him to the King’s door.

Read whole review online

 

Books For Keeps reviews The Good Little Devil

“a very welcome and long overdue, addition to the bookshelf” Read Books For Keeps’s review here.