Faber acquires Dean Atta's middle-grade debut

Faber has signed 'a magically surreal middle-grade debut by literary powerhouse Dean Atta. Enter the Clock is an epic adventure novel set in a strange land featuring two friends and their search for a missing loved one. Dean’s renowned lyricism radiates on every page,' according to the acquisition statement. 

Senior Commissioning Editor Ama Badu acquired world rights for two books from Abi Fellows at DHH Literary Agency, and Enter the Clock is scheduled to publish in September 2027. 

Faber provided some further information on the book: 'A magical grandfather clock. A fantastical world. Two lost children. One breathtaking journey. 

'You’ll triumph over your fear by facing trials of old. You’ll be brave. You’ll be bold. 

'André feels anything but bold. He is scared of most things: the dark, insects, being alone. So when he and his best friend, Vayla, fall into an eerie world hidden inside an old grandfather clock, he starts to worry they will never find their way back home. 

'This mystical land promises to reunite them with Vayla's father, Arji, who died two months ago. But things are not what they seem. Traps lie in honey coated words. Fearsome beasts lurk at each corner. And an ominous presence watches their every step. Worst still, Arji is nowhere to be found. 

'Can André and Vayla confront their deepest fears, decode cryptic puzzles and stand up to nightmarish monsters before it is too late?' 

Atta said: "I’m delighted to make my middle-grade debut with Faber Children’s. With several young adult novels and picture books under my belt, I’m excited to be writing for a new age group. I can’t wait for readers to meet best friends André and Vayla. Enter the Clock is a portal fantasy about grief, packed with peril and adventure, whilst at its heart celebrating the power of friendship." 

Badu said: "Dean is an incredible author, one I have admired for years. His soulful and poetic writing is tenderly laced through every word of Enter the Clock. Woven with a darkly atmospheric land, pacy and high-stakes challenges, this story is a classic in the making. I cannot wait for middle-grade readers to dive into this incredible sojourn." 

Faber released some further information on the author. 'Dean Atta is a BAFTA award-winning screenwriter and Stonewall Book Award-winning author from London. Best known for his young adult novel in verse, The Black Flamingo, and the stop-motion animation, Two Black Boys in Paradise, his heartfelt storytelling draws on his Greek Cypriot and Jamaican heritage as well as his queer identity. Dean is a patron of LGBT History Month and chair of the Poetry and Spoken Word Group at the Society of Authors.'