Gorgeous illustrations and wonderful stories are synonymous with Hannah Peck, who is celebrating the release of her debut novel The River Thief, which was given 4 stars by the Telegraph

The River Thief, published by Piccadilly Press, tells the story of Adderley and Ef who resolve to recover a special stone that she says has been stolen from her people and return it to its true home. However, the river waters are not always on their side and the journey is filled with danger.

The book celebrated its release with a book launch at Daunt Books; Holland Park on the 23rd of October. Take a look below to see the event.

Join us now as we go behind the book with Hannah Peck.

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In your own words, what is The River Thief about?

The River Thief follows the story of Adderley Bede, a precocious but socially …lacking girl in the seventeenth century, whose time is mainly spent identifying the wildlife she finds in the streams and rivers around the watermill she calls home. When she meets a creature she can’t identify; the part-fish, part-human Ef, and joins her on a journey to the sea, any certainty Adderley had is challenged.

On a wider note, I’d say the book is about the tension between the loyalties one has to relationship, be that friend or family, and wanting to form your own opinions and experiences a young person. Perhaps The River Thief explores how far one can push that without abandoning your foundations in community, as well as what it means to get things wrong.

What was the original inspiration for the story of The River Thief?

The book is based on a folktale from my home county, Hampshire, in which a sailor is followed all the way from the sea to his village by a revenge-seeking mermaid. She’s actually carved into the stone archway of a local church, which I went to visit a couple of summers ago. Something about seeing the physical imprint of the legend really sparked my imagination, as did the raw emotion of the mermaid and her likely very dangerous journey through shallow waterways to the village.

Winchester, Hampshire providing some inspiration for Hannah

Tell us about your writing process. How did you approach world-building for this story?

I started writing from the perspective of the mermaid, although she quickly became something stranger in appearance. Because the inspiration came from the folktale, the idea already had this fairy-tale quality baked in. Building a world set in the past was natural, although did involve a fair bit of research.

Do you have a favourite part of the book?

A good question! I think one of my favourite elements might be the friendship between Adderley and Lewes and how this dynamic shifts over the course of the book, or parts involving the ‘Memories’ – jewel-like orbs that Adderley and Ef collect on the way back to the sea.

Pre-vis of the cover art

Is there anything you hope readers take away from their time with the book?

I just hope they enjoy the adventure! It’s the sort of book I would have loved as a child and hope the scope of the world and magical details capture the imagination of readers and can bring some delight and mystery to their own worlds.

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Book Launch

Hosted at Daunt Books, Holland Park, Hannah celebrated the release of The River Thief with a packed bookshop of jubilant guests that were treated to speeches from both Hannah and Piccadily Press, as well as a deeper dive into the story of Adderley and Ef. Here are some of the highlights:

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To work with Hannah, get in contact with Susan Penny here.