Debut author Rachel Keating has written an insightful new Middle Grade story featuring a main character, Erin, who has OCD on her quest to rescue wild goldfinches that have been delibrately trapped. Trapped will be published by Cadno, the new Middle Grade and YA imprint from Graffeg Publishing with the financial support from the Books Council of Wales.

Rachel Keating says, ‘I am delighted to be working with the team at Graffeg who share my passion for diverse representation in children's literature. The themes in Trapped are very close to my heart, indeed everything Erin does as part of her OCD are things I did at her age. I hope that some readers may enjoy seeing themselves represented and that everyone enjoys an exciting adventure set in the forests of Wales.'

Matthew Howard, Publishing Director of Graffeg, adds, 

‘Cadno are delighted to be working with first-time author Rachel Keating on her Middle Grade novel, Trapped, a brilliant combination of fantasy adventure and real-life drama. What drew us to Rachel’s work was the instinctive way she presented the pressures of OCD alongside a family background riven by depression and dysfunction. Rachel is a real talent for the future and we’re pleased that she’s starting out with a book published by Graffeg.’ Publishing director Matthew Howard and managing director Peter Gill acquired the worldwide rights from the author directly.

Trapped

It’s not every day that you think your family is going to die. Unless you’re Erin, in which case it’s on your mind a lot of the time. Erin is 12 and she has OCD. Did you know that small animals such as birds perceive time differently to us, as if in slow motion? Erin discovers this after a fateful fall from a tree results in incredible avian abilities. Being able to fly, slow down time and communicate with her new feathered friend – a goldfinch called Fable – prove to be vital when she stumbles on birds being deliberately trapped, killed and maimed in the woods. Along with Bess, a mean and persistent intruder, Erin finds herself fighting for her life in a forest fire which she was framed for.

Trapped is publishing March 2025.

Notes to Editors:

Please contact media@graffeg.com to request interviews or images for editorial use or to request more information on this title.

Rachel Keating is a member of SCBWI and has attended many writing courses including Lucy Strange's ‘Writing Middle Grade’ workshop in Bath and a six-week MG course with Lindsay Galvin. Rachel is currently a Teaching Assistant working in a primary school.

Cadno is an imprint of Graffeg Publishing focusing on Middle Grade and YA books in English with uniquely Welsh content. Keen to develop the idea of Wales as an important and positive literary setting for children’s books, Cadno’s titles centre on high-quality literary texts either set in Wales or involving characters from Wales. We have several exciting upcoming titles, including books by Catherine Fisher, Cathy Jenkins, Emma Bettridge and Rachel Keating.