Rock the Boat snaps up Belfast-set YA from ‘necessary new voice’ Stephen Daly

30th July, 2025

Rock the Boat, an imprint of Oneworld, has acquired world English-language rights to The Last Death Poet, a gripping LGBTQI+ YA Belfast-based novel with a paranormal twist from debut author Stephen Daly. Rights were acquired in a two-book deal by senior commissioning editor Katie Jennings from Silvia Molteni at Peters Fraser + Dunlop.

Jennings said: ‘Only rarely do I come across a book this rich and multilayered, with characters you’re drawn to from the outset and who stay in your heart long after reading. The city of Belfast is depicted so vividly as to be a character in itself – one not unlike our protagonist, Michael: flawed and vulnerable, but also full of charm, humour and life. Recent events, both when it comes to immigration and LGBTQI+ rights, have shown that Northern Ireland has far from escaped its tempestuous history, making Daly’s debut more topical and urgent than ever. While The Last Death Poet draws strongly on Belfast’s past, it is also very much a book for now.’

In The Last Death Poet, the theme of queer identity blends with the ghosts of Belfast’s political history and the dark forces of Irish mythology, shining a timely spotlight on the violence that has broken out over recent months.

The book’s blurb reads: ‘When Michael is uprooted to his mum’s home town of Belfast, he isn’t just hoping for a fresh start. He’s determined to discover the truth about his dad’s mysterious absence. But from the moment he arrives, he’s plagued with visions of the city’s troubled past. Reunited with his extended family, Michael begins settling into his new life and even meets a boy who helps erase the painful memories of his ex. But as the visions grow stronger and more intense, the only person he can really confide in is his new friend, Meg. As Meg delves into the supernatural source of the visions, Michael begins to question whether events of the past are linked to his dad’s disappearance. Can he use his powers to find his dad before he’s gone forever?’

Daly is an author and photographer from Belfast. With a background in theatre, Daly knows that ‘storytelling is the best way to reflect the complexities of life’. He believes it’s time to tell more queer Irish stories.

Daly said: ‘I wrote The Last Death Poet to show the power of the city I grew up in. Belfast’s history has shaped people who are natural storytellers, sharply funny and endlessly resilient, but many still carry the scars of the country’s political past. It’s a queer coming-of-age story that underlines the struggle to be yourself when the people in your life hide who they are and what they’ve lived through, and also how there are dark forces from Irish mythology that refuse to be ignored.

‘I am thrilled and honoured to have my debut novel published by Rock the Boat, a team passionate about discovering new voices and treating authors with such care. Massive thank you to my agent Silvia Molteni for believing in my work and bringing it to Katie Jennings, whose support, creative drive and editorial eye has helped me to bring The Last Death Poet to life.’

The paperback original will be published on 2nd April 2026 as a superlead title on the Rock the Boat list.