And how would you describe Smart Books?
Smart Books are Augmented Reality adventure books. They let readers discover a world where stories come alive through interactivity. They really transform the reading experience for children. Søren Jønsson created the idea and Kristian Dreinø is the wonderful sales manager. When Søren and Kristian showed Sir Ian the AR-book concept, he loved them. So it felt like a meeting of minds for the teams involved because when Søren first got into designing the books, it all came from a love of adventure inspired by the original Fighting Fantasy books.

What are Fighting Fantasy books?
They’re a series of solo-player roleplay books that’s Sir Ian created with Steve Jackson. The first book came out back in 1982; a mix of a roleplaying dice game and pick your own adventure… Each book’s premise is that you go on a standalone adventure in which you’re the hero. And with Smart Books, Søren has very much bought that same premise up to date with Augmented Reality and elements of coding combined with cracking stories.

Perfect. How did you meet Søren and Kristian?
I already knew and had worked with Kristian by the time he invited me to their stand in Nuremberg in 2023. At that time, I could’ve made a decent list of products that I’ve seen over the years and said would be a hit but didn’t get involved in… So I was kind of primed to get involved when I first saw one of these books! I loved it. I saw how it encapsulated my whole career… From my years in the book industry at Waterstone’s, my years in tech at Apple and then my years in the game space – from Rory’s Story Cubes and Wrebbit to Coiledspring Games and beyond.

And I’ll put a link in here to an older interview on our sister site so people can learn a bit more about your career. But you felt that Smart Books were irresistible?
Yes, I thought this one product really pulled it all together and – even though I didn’t know exactly what it was going to look like – I knew I’d be able to do something with it. And I wanted to and I found a way to bring the first edition paperbacks to the UK market. Later, Peter Allinson from Whirligig Toys saw the concept. He loved it, and gave some really useful feedback… And we’ve now brought them to the market in a fully updated format and changed the distribution partner to help bring them to a wider market.

Fascinating. What was the feedback that Peter gave you?
He suggested making the books hardback and colour. And that was consistent with my vision because it makes sense to have colour and other elements to make it look more like a more epic adventure. I wanted it to be something that really draws the reader in… Because, to me, if adventure books have ever done their job, they’ve done it by letting a young person – maybe 14 plus – take themselves on an adventure. They may not be a huge reader; they may not have picked up a book for enjoyment in years – or even in their lives in some instances…

So our thinking is that if this can help people utilise a smartphone or a tablet in the right way, and just take them away from that negative creep of technology for a little point of time, and help them go on an imaginative journey of exploration, who knows where it leads? A book, an adventure, a good board game, a good movie can achieve those things.

And what’s your involvement then, Rory?
I’m the silent partner in the UK imprint part of that business. So Mark McGrath is very much leading things from a point of view of getting the actual product ready through his imprint company, GC Publishing. Mark has worked with UK teachers to fully translate the books for the UK market. I help him by looking at it from the distribution point of view. And I’m delighted to say the books will now have a full launch during this week’s UK Games Expo; they’ll launch at Waterstone’s – so it feels like a lovely full-circle career moment.

Oh, that’s wonderful! It seems to me that the product has come a long way since I first saw it at London Book Fair in 2025. Does that mean you’ve been at Zatu for a year, then?!
Yes, I officially started at Zatu on February 1st 2026. I’d been crossing over most of January, but at that point I knew I wanted Rob Trounce to come across too as I value the collaborative working partnership we have, he has been instrumental in promoting the book series for Peasoup as well. It’s great to look back at what we’ve achieved in the space of one year of distribution with Zatu games… I’m incredibly proud of the team and what they’ve helped bring to the space. Of course, I still feel like we’re only just getting started!

Well, let’s carry on talking about that, Rory! We’ll switch over to a Mojo Nation interview to discuss your ten years in toys and games, your role at Zatu Distribution… And how you demo games! People can read that here.

The post Rory Kelly on signing Fighting Fantasy for Peasoup’s Smart Books – and launching at Waterstone’s appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The first title to get the Smart Book treatment will be Freeway Fighter, slated for release in 2027. By utilising a dedicated augmented reality app, readers will no longer just imagine the post-apocalyptic car chases of Freeway Fighter – they will see and interact with them digitally as they navigate the story.

“The Fighting Fantasy series was designed to place the reader at the heart of the story, letting them take control of where the story goes,” said Sir Ian Livingstone.

“Choice is exciting and empowering. Partnering with Peasoup for these new adaptations takes the experience to the next level, where choices and actions in an augmented reality setting further affect the outcomes of the story. This high-octane, AR adaptation of Freeway Fighter will take the adventure to new audiences.”

Attendees can trial the current Peasoup range at the Zatu Distribution stand (2-472) throughout UK Games Expo, where it will be available to buy at the Waterstones stand (2-402). Sir Ian Livingstone will also be appearing at stand 2-359, and several events that include a live reading of the Fighting Fantasy classic, City of Thieves, alongside John Robertson.

The next Smart Book Fighting Fantasy adaptation will be announced soon.

The post Peasoup to launch Fighting Fantasy Smart Books appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The collaboration will bring a range of digital STL files and a physical limited run boxset based on the Fighting Fantasy universe to the MyMiniFactory platform through an upcoming FronTier campaign.

The partnership will introduce 3D printable miniatures of heroes, villains and monsters from the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. The initial range of models will include 40 28mm scale STLs, with Zanbar Bone available as a promo item when fans sign up for pre-launch.

The models have been approved by brand co-creator Sir Ian Livingstone and sculpted by Blue Giant Studios.

The launch of the Fighting Fantasy Heroes FronTier is anticipated for October.

“3D printing figures using STLs have opened up a whole new way of accessing beautiful tabletop miniatures, and I’m delighted that Fighting Fantasy and our talented partners at Blue Giant Studios can join the revolution,” said Sir Ian Livingstone.

“These are a must for modellers, gamers, role-players and die-hard Fighting Fantasy fans alike.”

Nebo Nikolic, CEO at MyMiniFactory, added: “Collaborating on Fighting Fantasy with Ian and Steve is more than just another project. It marks a celebratory partnership for the 3D printing tabletop community as we bring a true pen-and-paper classic into the digital era.”

The post MyMiniFactory readies Fighting Fantasy 3D printable miniatures appeared first on Brands Untapped.

The series of adventure gamebooks – which began in 1982 with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain – continues to thrive with new titles being published by Scholastic UK. The brand has also spawned digital and audio editions, role-playing and board games, miniatures, and a growing range of licensed merchandise.

Marc will be supporting existing Fighting Fantasy licensees, as well as seeking out appropriate partners for new ventures.

Marc is a veteran of the brand, having edited Titan – the Fighting Fantasy World and the Fighting Fantasy monster collection Out of the Pit. He also wrote the gamebook Battleblade Warrior and two Fighting Fantasy novels. He was also the series’ consultant editor in the 1990s for Puffin Books, before building a career in fantasy fiction as publisher of Games Workshop’s Black Library range of Warhammer novels – and later with his own award-winning imprint Angry Robot.

“We are delighted to have Marc join us to further promote and build Fighting Fantasy worldwide,” said Sir Ian Livingstone.

“A respected expert of the genre, he will be an invaluable member of the Fighting Fantasy team. May his STAMINA never fail!”

The post Marc Gascoigne joins Fighting Fantasy as Brand Manager appeared first on Brands Untapped.