It's been a little while since we posted a news roundup but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy - au contraire! We've got a jumbo-sized news roundup for you this week so stick the kettle on, and enjoy...

Anna Stephens, the author of the Godblind trilogy, has signed a new deal with HarperVoyager, for a brand new series. Jack Renninson, assistant editor, bought world English language rights from Harry Illingworth at the DHH Literary Agency. The Stone Knife, the first book in the Songs of the Drowned series is set to publish on 12th November 2020.

Congratulations to Andrew Ewart (Forget Me), Amy Beashel (The Sky Is Mine), Darren Charlton (Wranglestone) and GS Locke (Neon) who all had books published in February. For more information on each book, click on the book covers below.

Wranglestone garnered a fantastic 9* review in Starburst magazine: "sublime and affecting YA debut...a standout work."

Two exciting covers were revealed over the last few weeks: Heartache For the Shop Girls, the third in Joanna Toye's saga series set in WW2 and featuring the staff of Marlow's Department Store; and Asking For A Friend, the second book from Kate Mallinder, author of Summer Of No Regrets. Both are available to pre-order now.

Now, on to the news for the last week...

There were THREE deal announcements this week and we are absolutely delighted: W&N have signed Luke Turner's Men At War, a 'radical queering of military history' in a deal negotiated by Natalie Galustian. Luke is the author of the Wainwright Prize-nominated Out of the Woods. 

Granta Books is to publish the next non-fiction book from Lulah Ellender (Elisabeth's Lists), titled Grounding: Finding Home In A Garden. The memoir is centered on Lulah's garden in her hometown of Lewes and touches upon the universal themes of loss and uncertainty."

Adam Simcox's debut novel, The Dying Squad, has been snapped up by Gollancz in a deal negotiated by Harry Illingworth. The Dying Squad is a “fresh, gritty UK-set supernatural crime series in which the dead investigate murders the police can’t solve” according to its synopsis. It is due for publication in June 2021.

Happy publication day to Gerard O'Donovan whose book, The Doom List, was published by Severn House last week. 

The Doom List is the second in the Tom Collins mysteries set in 1920s Hollywood and on publication, picked up a fab review from The Irish Times:

"Blending historical figures - Ingram and Le Marr, Ramon Navarro and political fixer Kent Kane Parrot into his vividly etched story, O'Donovan delivers a stylish, scabrous and punchy private-eye investigation."

Congratulations to Ragnar Jónasson - The Island (the second in the Hidden Iceland series starring DI Hulda Hermansdöttir) hit the No.1 spot in the Kindle charts last week. To get your copy, click here.

Amy Beashel's debut YA novel, The Sky Is Mine, also hit the No.1 spot in eBooks under the category 'Violence for Young Adults'. A beautifully told story, this is a poignant and moving tale of one young girl's determination to survive and not be silenced. Download your copy here.

[This book contains material which some readers may find distressing, including discussions of rape, coercive behaviour, domestic violence and abuse.]

As part of the Portsmouth Literary Festival, client Linda Regan will be chatting with client L.C. Tyler.

Len is guest of honour at the event on Saturday 7th March and you can get your tickets here.

Weidenfeld & Nicolson has signed Men at War, a "radical queering of military history" from The Quietus co-founder Luke Turner, whose book Out of the Woods (W&N) was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize.

Publisher Jenny Lord acquired world rights for Men at War from Natalie Galustian at DHH. The book will publish in hardback, audio and e-book in Spring 2022. 

In Men at War, Turner will use human stories and literature of the time to explore how the social and sexual upheaval of the Second World War changed our concept of masculinity forever, according to the book's synopsis. It will look at how "the myths of WWII continue to shape our present" and, in seeking a deeper understanding of the individual complexities of the men who fought against fascism, "unpick contemporary toxic narratives of masculinity and nationalism".

Turner said: "For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with the Second World War. As a kid, I would write stories about planes with human faces, build Airfix kits of tanks and bombers, devour war literature and films, yet I never really knew where this obsession came from. Men at War is my attempt to understand why that period of history has cast such a long shadow over the decades since, right up to the present day, and especially in the male mind. I want to celebrate and investigate the diversity of the men who fought in that total war, to understand their motivations and desires, to explore queer identity and sexual fluidity in a time that I believe has become dangerously mis-remembered as far more conservative than it actually was."

Lord said: "Men at War promises to be as important as it is ambitious, as fascinating as it is timely, and I can’t imagine anyone who is better placed to tell the stories of these men–and the part they (unwittingly) played in the contemporary narrative around masculinity that desperately needs re-evaluating."

Turner is a writer, editor and curator. He co-founded and edits the online music publication The Quietus and writes regularly for a variety of magazines, websites and broadcasters. His first book, Out of the Woods, was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize.

​From The Bookseller article | Florence Leslie

The cover for Stuart Turton's second book, The Devil and the Dark Water​ has been revealed!

Granta Books is to publish a new book from Lulah Ellender, titled Grounding: Finding Home in a Garden. 

Granta acquired world English language rights from Natalie Galustian at DHH on proposal. Galustain retains translation rights. The publication dates are yet to be announced. 

Grounding: Finding Home in a Garden is centered on Ellender’s garden in Lewes. "It is an unruly but beloved place. She is told, just a few weeks after losing her mother, that she and her family might have to leave the rented house that they have made their home," reads the synopsis. "Before long, she finds herself back in the garden, tidying, planning, and planting. Drawing on her knowledge of this patch of land in Sussex, as well as her visits to celebrated gardens such as Charleston, where she is Writer in Residence at the Festival of the Garden, Lulah explores the broader relationship between gardener and garden, and considers the ways in which tending the soil, growing plants, and tuning into the rhythms of nature can bring a sense of feeling grounded."

Deputy publishing director Laura Barber said: “Grounding may be rooted in Lulah’s personal experience but it also touches upon the universal themes of loss and uncertainty and about the ways in which a connection to the natural world can offer a sense of continuity and hope. Lulah is such a vivid and graceful writer and this promises to be a truly life-enhancing book.”

​From The Bookseller article | Tamsin Hackett

Gollancz will publish the first three books in debut author Adam’s Simcox’s series The Dying Squad.

Senior commissioning editor Rachel Winterbottom acquired world English language rights from Harry Illingworth at D H H Literary Agency. The hardback, e-book and audio editions will publish 10th June 2021.

The Dying Squad is a “fresh, gritty UK-set supernatural crime series in which the dead investigate murders the police can’t solve” according to its synopsis.

London-based filmmaker Simcox said: “When I was putting together my fantasy publisher list, Gollancz were right at the top. Rachel got the concept straight away, and I was massively flattered by her passion for the book, and what I want to do with the series. If I ever have to put together a sweary supernatural police force, Rachel and Harry are going to be my first recruits.”
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Winterbottom added: “A gritty, brilliantly inventive brand-new supernatural crime series has been on my wishlist since I started at Gollancz and The Dying Squad was well worth the wait. The dialogue is fresh and witty, and the action zips along, grounding the supernatural with authentic police investigations that will thrill Brit-crime fans.”

From The Bookseller article | Florence Leslie

Hodder & Stoughton has acquired début author Georgia Kaufmann's sweeping historical women’s fiction novel The Dressmaker of Paris, following one woman’s journey from simple country girl to global fashion icon.

Commissioning editor Thorne Ryan pre-empted world English language rights from Broo Doherty at DHH Literary Agency.

A first-person narrative, the book tells the story of Rosa Kusstatscher, the founder of a global fashion empire, who looks back on her life to take readers from a village high in the mountains of Italy, where she started out as a poor country girl, through Nazi occupation to hope and heartbreak in Switzerland, glamour and love in Paris, ambition and devastation in Rio de Janeiro, and success and self-discovery in New York.

According to the author, the book was in part inspired by the lives of her grandmother and mother, as well as her own. Kaufmann was born and grew up in north London but has lived all over the world. In the mid-90s she gave up her career as a demographic anthropologist to bring up her children and write. 

"The voice of Rosa first appeared like a muse in the spring of 1985, and never went away," she said, "Although The Dressmaker of Paris is not autobiographical, it has threads from the lives of my grandmother, mother and mine stitching Rosa’s story together, so it is very close to my heart and I am thrilled that Hodder has given me the chance to share it with the world."

Ryan said: "As soon as I started reading The Dressmaker of Paris I knew I had to publish it. The writing has a beautiful, lyrical quality the reader can sink into like a hot bath, and the unusual framing device of having the point-of-view character tell their story to a mysterious listener provides a unique reading experience. And all this alongside a plot, characters and atmosphere that keep you glued to the page. This is the epitome of my dream book."
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The Dressmaker of Paris will publish in hardback and e-book in January 2021.

HarperVoyager has landed a “stunning” epic fantasy trilogy by Godblind author Anna Stephens.

Jack Renninson, assistant editor, bought world English language rights from Harry Illingworth at the DHH Literary Agency. The Stone Knife, the first book in the Songs of the Drowned series is set to publish on 12th November 2020.

The synopsis explains: “The Stone Knife follows warriors, diplomats, courtesans, and spies in the powerful Pecha empire and the beleaguered nations on its borders. As the empire goes to war, the magical ‘song’ that pervades its lands and pacifies its people begins to fail.”

Renninson said: “Anna’s début trilogy established her as one of the most exciting new voices in fantasy, combining breakneck action with a complex, diverse cast of characters. The Stone Knife has all of this and more, with a stunning new world and timely exploration of the cruelties and temptations of empire.”

Stephens added: “The Stone Knife is the first book of the Songs of the Drowned, and it’s something of a departure from my previous trilogy. While many of the themes are similar, for the first time I’m incorporating both magic and monsters into my work, which has been both a challenge and a joy. I can’t wait for readers to dive into the humid jungles of Ixatl to face the Drowned, their enemies, and their worshippers.”

From The Bookseller article | Mark Chandler

We are delighted that two of our authors have been shortlisted at the 2020 RNA Awards, which celebrates romantic fiction. 
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Tania Crosse's The Street of Broken Dreams, which is the second in the Banbury Street series, has been shortlisted for the Romantic Saga Award, and Notting Hill in the Snow by Jules Wake, has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award. 

The winners will be announced at a special event on Monday 2nd March. 
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Congratulations, Tania and Jules!
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