Caryl Lewis – författare

Albie dreams dragons... Some jewel-bright and fierce, some softly-scaled and whispery,but whichever kind they are, they stay with him throughout the night and the next day too.But the only trouble is that no one else can see Albie's dragons.Or can they?A very special picture book debut celebrating the imagination, with an emotional and reassuring message.The Boy Who Dreamed Dragons, by award-winning Welsh writing talent, Caryl Lewis and illustrator Carmen Saldana, is perfect for any child who has felt different, whose imagination is big, and whose inner life is rich. With a stunning denouement celebrating connection, this is a book that will live on in the hearts and minds of its readers.

A magical tale of finding your voice and becoming yourself.Stanley loves his octopus toy, and dreams of the magical way its skin changes colour; how it hides itself when something scary comes along. In fact, sometimes Stanley wants to be like his octopus and disappear.But Stanley learns how to share his feelings in more than words, and to face difficulties through the power of self-expression and creativity.A lyrical and emotional story about overcoming bullies and being proud to be seen by the creators of The Boy Who Dreamed Dragons.

From the multi award-winning author of Drift, winner of the Welsh Book of the Year'Extraordinary…this book will absolutely tug at your soul. One to re-read and treasure….glorious, heart-breaking, yet ultimately full of hope.' Liz Hyder, author of The Twelve'A gentle and tender novel about the power of forgiveness and how humans might thrive when given the space to grow. Richly rewarding fiction.' Kirsty Capes, author of Careless and Girls____‘A seed in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible’ Old Welsh ProverbHannah has lived at Berllan Deg all her life, her husband came to live at the orchard when they got married. Tonight, she prepares for his funeral as he lies in the parlour. Over fifty years of marriage, a lifetime of memories dissipating in the impossibility of his stillness. He was a writer and a beekeeper who came to understand the world through the language of bees. He has left her eleven letters; the exact same number as there are frames in a bee’s nest. Each letter is an examination of an aspect of their marriage. The morning of the funeral, Sadie, Hannah’s estranged little sister comes back home for the service. As the letters unfold, they reveal a devastating secret that will make Hannah have to re-evaluate her whole life.Bitter Honey is a novel which brings three very different women together into a broken Eden and examines how they rebuild it on their own terms.

The perfect gift for everyone you love, this special book celebrates love in all its forms in an explosion of colour and beauty.I Love You Every Colour celebrates love through the seasons and in every mood. From bright, blood-red sunrises to jewel-studded purples and lush, rich greens, this book encourages young readers to expand their imaginations. Each stunning painting packs an emotional punch and is filled with details to pore over.Created by two award-winning talents, Caryl Lewis (twice winner of Wales Book of the Year) and Jill Calder (Association of Illustrators: Silver Award), this is a book you'll want to give to anyone and everyone that you hold dear.Praise for Caryl Lewis's debut SEED:'Some books are about magic. Some books ARE magic' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce

The perfect gift for everyone you love, this special book celebrates love in all its forms in an explosion of colour and beauty.I Love You Every Colour celebrates love through the seasons and in every mood. From bright, blood-red sunrises to jewel-studded purples and lush, rich greens, this book encourages young readers to expand their imaginations. Each stunning painting packs an emotional punch and is filled with details to pore over.Created by two award-winning talents, Caryl Lewis (twice winner of Wales Book of the Year) and Jill Calder (Association of Illustrators: Silver Award), this is a book you'll want to give to anyone and everyone that you hold dear.'I Love You Every Colour’s warmth and considered approach provides so much with its quiet abundance' – Nation.Cymru

A Hand Maid’s Tale meets How I Live Now in this page-turning dystopian YA which the author has described as a ‘love letter to her daughter’.In a world where bees are at risk of extinction, one girl fights for her own survival. Imagine a world where honeybees have died out. It’s a patriarchal world where famines are rife. It’s a world without art, without books, without plays. Girls are sent away from home, forced to pollinate crops by hand with brushes and to marry as soon as they can. Inhabiting this world is Jess and her friends Cass, Deva, and Ruth. But even if one fourteen‑year‑old knows that the system is dangerous, can she really stoke a revolution?Incredible new voice in YA literature from a recognisable Welsh adult authorSrong environmental message – it has been predicted that if honeybees were to become extinct, man would have only four years to live. Hand pollination is already practised in China as an estimated 80% of China’s native wild honeybee population has already been lost).Empowering female friendships ​Caryl Lewis said: ‘As a beekeeper, I am acutely aware of the interconnectedness of everything and have long been frightened of how we, as humans, set ourselves apart from nature. We do not seem to understand that in destroying nature, we destroy ourselves. My daughter is growing up in what feels like a much more hostile environment facing climate instability, the rise of misogyny and the roll back of women’s bodily rights. I wanted to comfort and empower her and let her see that our greatest weapon in a floundering world is the imagination.'

Set in a world where bees are at risk of extinction, this startling YA dystopia is perfect for fans of Meg Rosoff’s How I live Now and Sarah Crossan, described by the author as a love letter to her daughter. Imagine a world where honeybees have died out. It’s a patriarchal world where famines are rife. It’s a world without art, without books, without plays. Girls are sent away from home, forced to pollinate crops by hand with brushes and to marry as soon as they can. Inhabiting this world is Jess and her friends Cass, Deva, and Ruth. But even if one fourteen‑year‑old knows that brushes weren’t invented for pollinating, can she really stoke a revolution?Caryl Lewis said: ‘As a beekeeper, I am acutely aware of the interconnectedness of everything and have long been frightened of how we, as humans, set ourselves apart from nature. We do not seem to understand that in destroying nature, we destroy ourselves. My daughter is growing up in what feels like a much more hostile environment facing climate instability, the rise of misogyny and the roll back of women’s bodily rights. I wanted to comfort and empower her and let her see that our greatest weapon in a floundering world is the imagination.'

'Some books are about magic. Some books ARE magic. Seed will cast a spell on you' – Frank Cottrell-BoyceSeed is a funny, big-hearted story by award-winner Caryl Lewis about the power of hope and imagination when you believe in the impossible. Perfect for readers of 8-12. Illustrated in black and white throughout by George Ermos.Shortlisted for Breakthrough Children's Book of the Year, The Week Junior Book AwardsShortlisted for the Brandford Boase Award 2023Marty doesn't have much. Unlike his mum, who has billions of things: newspapers, holey shoes, rusty lawnmowers, broken picture frames – she keeps EVERYTHING! It's hard to leave the house. Marty wonders if anything will ever change.But on Marty's birthday, Grandad, with a glint in his eye, gifts Marty a very special seed. Grandad hasn't been this excited since he invented the bum scratcher 2000 or thought he'd brewed wonder fuel from rhubarb leaves! The seed grows bigger and bigger, and launches Grandad, Marty and his best friend Gracie on an impossible, wondrous plan fuelled by love, hopes and dreams.Praise for The Magician's Daughter by Caryl Lewis:'This heartwarming, witty and touching story is all about hope and belief . . . An absolute delight.' – Daily MailPerfect for fans of Ross Welford, Jenny Pearson and Lisa Thompson.

'This heartwarming, witty and touching story is all about hope and belief . . . An absolute delight.' – Daily MailDiscover the power of true magic in this funny, exciting, big-hearted story by Caryl Lewis, the award-winning author of Seed and The Magician's Daughter. Perfect for boys and girls of 8 to 12. Illustrated throughout by George Ermos.After one hilarious, disastrous magic show too many, Abby’s dad decides it’s time to give up showbiz. Until the day Abby finds a mysterious, dusty old book of spells among her mum's things. Mum had always been the dazzling magician, after all. As Abby practises, each new spell brings wonder and joy, not only to Abby and her dad, but also to the whole community.Nothing lasts forever, though, and after each public performance another spell vanishes from the book. So before the magic disappears forever, Abby and Dad plan one final, spectacular, impossible show . . .Praise for Caryl Lewis's debut SEED:'Some books are about magic. Some books ARE magic' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce'A near-perfect blend of witty humour, rollicking adventure [and] compelling characters.' – Daily MailShortlisted for Breakthrough Children's Book of the Year, The Week Junior Book AwardsShortlisted for the Brandford Boase Award 2023

Elsi lives with her grandma, who keeps bees. By following them and noticing everything that takes place in the garden over the course of the year, Elsi comes to love each season in turn. This beautiful hardback book offers children the chance to learn about the world of nature through Caryl's wonderful story and Valriane's fantastic illustrations.

**WINNER OF THE WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023****WATERSTONES WELSH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022**'Truly beautiful and haunting, and an incredible feat of storytelling' DONAL RYAN'A tender, unusual and gorgeously wrought love story' RACHEL JOYCE'In times of war, Lewis finds resilience, redemption and hope...DRIFT feels perfectly judged' OBSERVER THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEBUT FROM THREE-TIME WINNER OF WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR CARYL LEWIS: A STORY OF LOVE, MAGIC AND THE IRRESISTIBLE LURE OF THE SEA.Nefyn has always been an enigma, even to her brother Joseph with whom she lives in a small cottage above a blustery cove.Hamza is a Syrian mapmaker, incarcerated in a military base a few miles up the coast.A violent storm will bring these two lost souls together - but other forces will soon try to tear them apart...Moving between the wild Welsh coast and war-torn Syria, Drift is a love story with a difference, a hypnotic tale of lost identity, the quest for home and the wondrous resilience of the human spirit.'A truly magical and transformative novel. I loved it.' KIRSTY CAPES, author of CARELESS

From the multi award-winning author of Drift, winner of the Welsh Book of the Year'Extraordinary…this book will absolutely tug at your soul. One to re-read and treasure….glorious, heart-breaking, yet ultimately full of hope.' Liz Hyder, author of The Twelve'A gentle and tender novel about the power of forgiveness and how humans might thrive when given the space to grow. Richly rewarding fiction.' Kirsty Capes, author of Careless and Girls____FROM THE WINNER OF THE WELSH BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD…Hannah has lived at Berllan-Deg all her life, the rhythms of her day governed by the natural world. Her husband came to live at the orchard when they got married.Tonight, she must prepare for his funeral. He was a writer and a beekeeper who came to understand the world through the language of bees. He has left Hannah eleven letters; the exact same number as there are frames in a beehive.But on the morning of the funeral, Hannah’s estranged sister arrives and soon they are joined by a stranger with secrets of her own. As the letters unfold, the world around Hannah begins to shift…‘An assured, sensitively told tale’ Marie Claire‘A tender, lyrical story of love, loss and renewal’ Woman's Own‘Exquisite . . . This is one of those novels that you can devour in a day but lingers long in the memory’ Buzz Magazine

A spellbinding keepsake book about learning to say ‘no’ and the transformative beauty of becoming who you truly are, brought to life with exquisite papercut artwork.  This is the story of a girl made from paper, who is bright and kind and eager to please.   When she is told she should be beautiful, she folds herself into a flower; when she is told she should be clever, she folds herself into a fox; when she is told she should be a ‘shining example to others’, she folds herself into a star.   But nothing she does is ever quite enough – until she does something truly beautiful, clever and shiningly wonderful. She says, ‘No.’  So unfolds this modern fairy tale, powerfully written by the multi-award-winning author, Caryl Lewis. Her words are paired with exquisite papercut artwork by début illustrator Kanako Abe.  Beautifully packaged in a cloth bound hardback, suitable for children and adults alike, this is an invitation to celebrate your strength and find your true self.

Bound together by blood ties, Martha, Jack and Shanco live ona farm in west Wales where their lives unfold in their eerie half-presence of their dead parents.Glimmers of understanding punctuate their relationship with oneanother, but unspoken animosity seems to be the most potentingredient. A lament for the prizes and the price of nurturinga landscape: an antidote for anyone impatient with those whochoose to stay in one place.

Mari supplements her modest trade as a market stall holder with the wares she acquires from clearing the houses of the dead. She lives alone, apart from a monkey that she keeps in a cage, surrounding herself with the lives of others. But Mari is looking for something beyond saleable goods for her stall. As she works on cutting a perfect emerald, she inches closer to a discovery that will transform her life and throw her relationships with old friends into relief. To move forward she must shed her life of things past and start again. How she does so is both surprising and shocking