Little Island Books are delighted to announce that they have agreed to take over the sales and distribution of Teenager’s Book of Life by Tony Griffin, a non-fiction title which has sold a phenomenal 30,000 copies across two editions since 2021 despite not having any distribution to the book trade.
Little Island have also commissioned Griffin, a former All-Star player for County Clare in the Irish sport of hurling, to write a new non-fiction work for teenagers provisionally titled Spark: The Inner Game for Young Athletes. World rights in all languages were acquired by publisher Matthew Parkinson-Bennett direct from the author and publication is slated for 2027.
Drawn from Griffin’s extensive work with teenagers in schools across Ireland, this no-nonsense book deals honestly with everyday issues in teenage lives including friendships, feelings, love and loss. Teenager’s Book of Life offers an antidote to the toxicity of the “manosphere” and negative online influencers.
A hugely successful seller through non-bookshop avenues including Irish retailer Dunnes Stores, Teenager’s Book of Life, illustrated by Cathy Hogan, will be brought to the book trade in Ireland and the UK by Little Island in October 2026. A high-profile, author-led PR campaign is planned in UK and Ireland, to include interviews and features in national print and broadcast media, sports and parenting podcasts as well as school events.
Featuring guest contributions from a line-up of top Irish and international athletes, this book addresses questions of mental health, coping with stress and expectation, and performance anxiety, in the context of sport. It draws from Giffin’s work with youth sports clubs as well as adult high-performance teams including the Kerry intercounty Gaelic football team. Aimed at teens, illustrated with photographs in a full-colour edition, it is due for publication in September 2027.
Tony Griffin is an Irish author and mindset and performance coach to leading sports teams who has spent more than two decades helping young people and their families. A former All-Star in the Irish game of hurling, he has dedicated his post-playing career to helping both established athletes and young people thrive and find their path. His autobiography Screaming at the Sky (Transworld, 2010) was nominated for both the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and An Post Irish Book Awards Sports Book of the Year.
Tony said: “When the pandemic hit, I used the time to reflect on the tens of thousands of teenagers I had had the privilege to listen to over the previous decade. Teenagers’ Book of Life was the result. I never imagined it would be so popular. But as a self-published title with a distribution team made up of my mother, brother and friends, I was always waiting for the cavalry to arrive to help me bring its message in an even broader audience.
I am delighted Little Island is that cavalry and I’m looking forward to working with them to get this vital resource into the hands of more teenagers and their families. I am also excited to work with them on my next book and am sure it will be a success.”