In partnership with the Wylie Agency and The Wandthorn Story Company, Start Licensing will now represent the beloved children’s book series The Café at the Edge of the Woods across a host of product categories.

The story of Rene and Glumfoot, and their café at the edge of an enchanted woodland has captured readers around the globe. Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and Children’s Book of the Year, the series has been published in 18 languages to date, and the first two books have sold more than 180K copies in their first 20 months in print. A further six instalments are scheduled for publication, including two in Autumn 2026, which sees the release of the first chapter book in the series.

Start Licensing will maintain responsibility for paper goods, including greetings cards, stationery, craft kits, apparel, food and beverages, giftware, jewellery, kitchenware, puzzles, games and collectable figurines. Publishing and audio rights are held by HarperCollins in the UK, and all product approvals, payments and contracts will continue to be managed directly by the Wylie Agency team.

Ian Downes, Founder and Director, Start Licensing: “This is a very exciting appointment for Start Licensing. The Café at the Edge of the Woods is already established as a popular and much-loved book series. It has a unique style, charm and appeal. We believe it will translate well to carefully curated licensed products. Working directly with Mikey Please and The Wylie Agency gives us the opportunity to build a licensing programme that is authentic and fan-focused. I am sure licensees and retailers will respond well to this opportunity, not least as they will be able to work closely with Mikey. We know from past experience that successful publishing properties succeed in licensing, particularly when licensing is used to help enhance the readers’ experience.”

Luke Ingram, The Wylie Agency: “Like the best cafés, Mikey’s gloriously hospitable books offer a sheltering sense of warmth and wonder. It’s immensely exciting to think of bringing more of those qualities into the world through new partnerships.”

Mikey Please, Series Creator: “I’m thrilled to begin our journey with the fabulous Start Licensing, and can’t wait to gently nudge these characters beyond the page, and into new lands. For me, seeing Rene and Glumfoot expressed in new mediums feels like an important part of their cultural journey and a great opportunity to make some beautiful objects. The aim, as always, is to enhance the reader’s experience of this growing world.”