Affirm Press is excited to announce the first successful inter-company rights deal with Simon & Schuster Children’s UK for Amelia Mellor’s upcoming series, Oceanforged. This comes in an exciting pre-empt deal ahead of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

Amelia’s highly successful debut series – encompassing The Grandest Bookshop in the World, The Bookseller’s Apprentice and The Lost Book of Magic – has won several awards, been translated into six languages and has sold more than 100,000 copies in Australia alone. Packed full of action, adventure and ancient legends, Oceanforged is Amelia’s new five-book series for lower middle-grade.

The first in the series, Oceanforged #1 The Wicked Ship, puts readers straight into the action. The realm of Aquinta has fallen into a dark age, and no one knows that better than thirteen-year-old Cori, who is fighting for her life in a pirate crew more beastly than Aquinta’s sea monsters.

But Cori’s life changes when she finds the Oceanforged Gauntlet – a piece of armour belonging to the legendary Champions who once ruled the islands. Whoever wears the armour wields the Champions’ magic and has the power to return Aquinta to its lost glory.

Cori must begin a treacherous journey to find the rest of the armour. But first, she’ll have to escape from her captain, who craves the gauntlet’s magic for himself.

Simon & Schuster Children’s senior commissioning editor Carla Hutchinson said: ‘Oceanforged is sensational swashbuckling adventure and has all the hallmarks of a fast-paced and highly accessible fantasy series.  Readers will adore the pace and unstoppable action of these page-turning stories and we will be publishing rapidly to keep excitement for the next instalment high. Amelia is a brilliant writer and we’re thrilled at the prospect of bringing her and her fantastic storytelling to the UK.’

Simon & Schuster Australia (incorporating Affirm Press) children’s publishing director Tash Besliev said: ‘It’s a privilege to collaborate more closely with the wonderful children’s imprints across the group, especially our colleagues in the UK where we share many common tastes and trends. I couldn’t wish for a better home for Amelia and her brilliant Oceanforged series in the UK – the Simon & Schuster Children’s team is unmatched in this space.’

Amelia said: ‘I’m thrilled by this opportunity to bring the magic and excitement of Oceanforged to young readers in the UK and Ireland, as well as closer to home. Seeing this swashbuckling adventure embraced internationally is a great honour and an absolute delight! I’d like to give huge thanks to Affirm Press and S&S UK for their enthusiasm for this series—I’m so proud of it, and I can’t wait to welcome readers aboard in a few months’ time!’

Oceanforged #1 The Wicked Ship will be published by Affirm Press in August 2025, and by S&S Children’s in the UK in early 2026. Books 2–5 in the series will be published simultaneously in the ANZ and UK.