Fantasy novel reimagines Welsh mythology for young readers
The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Cardiff-based writer Anna Fiteni will be published on August 28 and is set in a Welsh mining village in the 1800s.
Inspired by Welsh mythology and written with elements of the Welsh language, the story follows Sabrina Parry in a quest to save her sister Ceridwen.
Ms Fiteni said: "The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire is, ultimately, a love letter to growing up weird, classic guyliner-wearing YA romantic heroes, sisters, and my home, Wales.
"I was inspired by a lot of other stories and films while writing, like Pan's Labyrinth, Into the Woods and Hadestown, and beloved YA novels like The Cruel Prince and An Enchantment of Ravens.
"Mix those with a childhood fascination with Peter Pan and the illustrations of Cicely Mary Barker, and the lasting memory of a school trip down a coal mine, and here we are."
Ms Fiteni wrote the book while in her final year of studying in England and is shaped by Wales.
"I was lucky to be exposed to a fair bit of Welsh mythology when I was young. This isn't the case for every Welsh child," she said.
"Like the language, Welsh history and stories aren't always accessible. I noticed this particularly in the fantasy books I read.
"We have a wealth of weird and wonderful myths in Wales, but I rarely saw them put to paper. It was rarer still to see that writing done by a Welsh author."
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