Zaffre acquires Emma Robertson's 'zeitgeisty' debut novel

Zaffre has snapped up A Girl’s Girl, Emma Robertson’s "zeitgeisty" debut novel.

Assistant editor Georgia Marshall and publishing director Melissa Cox acquired world all-language rights from Diana Beaumont at DHH Literary Agency. The book will be published in paperback, e-book and audio in June 2026 by Zaffre.

"At school, Darcy Starr was the girl everyone wanted to be – effortlessly beautiful, confident and most importantly, popular," the synopsis says. "Twenty years on, Darcy is living a picture-perfect life until the reappearance of her old school friend threatens to expose the cracks beneath the filters."

Robertson said: "I am thrilled that my debut novel is being published by Zaffre. I followed the old adage of writing the book that I would like to read, and as such it is stuffed with things that I love, including travel, flawed characters and 1990s nostalgia. It’s been wonderful working with a team who appreciate those things as much as I do, and I can’t wait to see A Girl’s Girl on the shelf next year."

Marshall said: "I’m thrilled to be publishing A Girl’s Girl next summer. I was hooked from the very first page and immediately loved how it delves into the darker side of female friendships and the complexities of girlhood. Emma is a fantastic writer, and it’s been such a joy to work with her on her first novel."