Steven Quincey Jones‘ ‘innovative and beautifully written’ (Simon Fox) debut middle grade novel, Fishfolk, has been longlisted for the Children’s Wainwright Prize for Fiction 2025.

The Children’s Wainwright Prize celebrates the books that encourage young readers to fall in love with the natural world. In a time of climate crisis and biodiversity loss, these stories play a vital role in nurturing curiosity, empathy and action in the next generation.

Through fiction, non-fiction and beautifully illustrated picture books, this strand of the prize recognises authors and illustrators who spark wonder and empower children to explore, understand and protect the planet they call home.

Congratulations, Steven!

Read more about the Wainwright Prize here.

The High-and-Dry is a windswept land that is being fast lost to the ever-growing sea. The only things left are seagulls, seaweed, twins Luna and Oona, and their Grandad Mull. Luna and Oona have grown up listening to Grandad Mull’s stories about the dastardly shape-shifting fishfolk who live in the sea around them and cause the waves to swallow the shore with their spells. Storms sent by fishfolk are the reason why Grandad Mull is all that is left of their family, he says. But when Luna and Oona meet a fishfolk for real, Luna begins to question her grandfather’s stories much to Oona’s confusion.

A strikingly original and moving fable for our times from debut author Steven Quincey-Jones. With black and white woodcut-style illustrations.

Fishfolk is out now! Order your copy here and here now or, better, via your local bookshop or Bookshop.org.

Follow Steven on Instagram @s_quinceyjones and on Twitter @s_quinceyjones.