And just like that, we've come to the final DHH News Roundup of 2021...

Whatever you're doing this Christmas, we sincerely hope you've got a good book (or ten) to keep you company. Thank you for all your incredible support for our authors throughout the last 12 months. We couldn't do what we all do without book-lovers like YOU.

Be kind to each other, stay safe & have a very Merry Christmas.

With best wishes for 2022,
​All at DHH Literary Agency

The cover for Morgan Owen's debut novel, The Girl With No Soul ​was revealed last week:

There's a double whammy for Amanda Jennings this week, as both the cover for her new book, The Haven ​(March 2022, HQ), was revealed, along with some fantastic quotes:

Richard Swan's forthcoming SFF debut, The Justice of Kings, has also garnered some fantastic endorsements and has also, in the last week, sold to Trini Vergara Ediciones in Spain:

"Sherlock Holmes with swords and magic. Bloody marvellous and a real page turner."
Mike Shackle

"A Sherlock Holmes-esque tale, with eerie touches of the supernatural, and a thought-provoking reflection on justice, vengeance and morality."
The Fantasy Hive

"Absolutely galloped through [Richard Swan's] A Justice of Kings and have been thinking about it for a week. An invigorating mix of the visceral and cerebral, set in a complex, grimy world, it asks questions about the nature of law and justice which have never been more timely."
​David Wragg

Congratulations to client Anna Jacobs, who last week saw the paperback publication of her new book, Mara's Choice, the first in her new Waterfront series, set on Australia's west coast.

Also published this week was the fantastic, yet unsettling Off Target by Eve Smith, an authentic, startlingly thought-provoking, disturbing blockbuster of a thriller that provides a chilling glimpse of a future that’s just one modification away…

Another cover reveal for you now; this time from the author of this summer's The Islanders,
​S. V. Leonard. 

The Influencers will be published in March 2022 from Canelo and is guaranteed to have you gripped!

Another fantastic endorsement has rolled in for Sarah Bonner's January 2022 debut, Her Perfect Twin:

"Brilliantly twisty and thoroughly entertaining - an extremely impressive debut."
​T. M. Logan

Congratulations to the below clients, all of whom saw their books published this week in paperback:

• Firesky by Mark de Jager 
• The Cosy Cottage In Ireland  by Julie Caplin 
• The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara
• Rocco and the Price of Lies by Adrian Magson
• We Are All Liars by Carys Jones

One of the aforementioned published books, Carys' Jones' We Are All Liars was picked up in this week's Sunday Times Crime Club as a Pick of the Week.

With the cover revealed last week, Sean Lusk's forthcoming epic historical novel (with a touch of magical realism), The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley, has been given a wonderful endorsement from fellow author Anita Frank:

"If you like your historical fiction to have a touch of magic then Sean Lusk's The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley is a must read. Populated by a cast of colourful characters who are guaranteed to charm, this hugely entertaining book is full of imagination, adventure, wit and warmth."

In this week's edition of heat magazine, Jo Thomas' latest getaway book, Celebrations at the Chateau, a proper winter warmer, has been selected as one of the titles in their 'Festive Fiction' roundup:

Andrew Ewart's most recent book, Replace You, was included in The Spectator's crime roundup last week:

"The world of Replace You is always slightly surreal and sometimes downright weird, but the odd pairing of Mya and Marco becomes utterly compelling ... his writing throughout is a rich mix of fluency and sheer esprit."

Finally, we are delighted to be able to announce that Paul Burston's memoir, We Can Be Heroes, has been acquired by Amazon Publishing imprint, Little A.

Victoria Haslam bought World English Language rights from David Headley.

Burston is the founder of the Polari literary salon and the Polari Prize, the UK's only book prize for LGBTQ+ writing. He grew up in a small town in south Wales before arriving in London at the start of the AIDS pandemic and building a career as a journalist, TV presenter, novelist, activist and advocate. He almost died of an overdose at 38 and became sober in January 2021. Scheduled for a June 2023 publication, his is memoir charts this journey. 

To read the full press release, click here.

Amazon Publishing imprint Little A has signed We Can Be Heroes, a memoir by Paul Burston, from David Headley at DHH Literary Agency. Publication is scheduled for June 2023.

Burston is the founder of the Polari literary salon and the Polari Prize, the UK's only book prize for LGBTQ+ writing. He grew up in a small town in south Wales, before arriving in London at the start of the AIDS pandemic, and building a career as a journalist, TV presenter, novelist, activist and advocate. He almost died of an overdose at 38, and became sober in January 2021. His memoir charts this journey. 

Editor Victoria Haslam said: "From the moment I started reading Paul's memoir, I was completely and utterly blown away by what a powerful story he has to tell. Working with Paul on this very special book feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am humbled to introduce a memoir to our readers which contains so much passion and has so many learnings to take away."

Burston said: "I'm delighted to be working with Victoria, who really understands where I'm coming from and what I set out to do in this memoir. It's a deeply personal book and one that covers some sensitive subjects, so it was important to find just the right editor. With Victoria, I know I'm in safe hands."

Mouncif Faqar of Amazon Books Europe said: "We are delighted to welcome Paul Burston to Amazon Publishing's Little A list. The Little A list was originally created to shine a light on undiscovered stories, particularly those which have an emotional, perspective within bigger conversations, and I cannot imagine a better fit than We Can Be Heroes."

Headley said: "Paul's story is quite enthralling, incredibly moving and touching. I was gripped by Paul's narrative from the beginning and I think that it is going to be an important publication and will be the success that it deserves. I cannot thank Victoria enough for her passion, which she has shown from the moment she read the manuscript."

Historical Times has run a piece with bestselling novelist Andrew Swanston, author of The Incendium Plot and Thomas Hill novels. 

Andrew discusses his life in books, as well as the inspiration behind his fascinating characters. 

Historical Times is a free and online interactive magazine, and is perfect for any historical fiction fans out there. Find out more here.

With her next book, We Are All Liars, out this week, Carys Jones has written a short story in the latest issue of S magazine: Curtain Up.

​We Are All Liars was also selected in this week's issue of Inside Soap magazine, as part of their 'Hot List'. Published this Thursday, this is a superb psychological thriller with all the perfect ingredients to serve a twist you won't see coming ... Pre-order here.

Last minute event opportunity!

If you find yourself with a free evening tonight, then Creative Manchester is holding a talk with author Femi Kayode (Lightseekers). This is part of a series of talks, Author Voices, hosted by Ellah P. Wakatama OBE, with debut authors, regarding their craft and journey to shaping their first, published full body of work. 

Going live at 7pm tonight, and with tickets at £0-£3, you can register here.

We're welcoming two new clients to the DHH stable this week:

Rachel Meller joins Tom Drake-Lee's list, while Kat Devereaux joins Broo Doherty. To find out more about these authors, simply click on their names.

It's that time of year when we start to see the best books of 2021 crop up, and this week we are delighted to see the below accolades for these stunning stories:

• The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson: The Times' Top 5 Crime Novels of the Year
• Blood Ties by Brian McGilloway: The Irish Times Best Crime Novels of the Year
• The Spirit Engineer by A. J. West: winner of Bert's Books Book of the Year

The forthcoming SFF debut novel from Richard Swan, The Justice of Kings (February 2022, Orbit), has picked up a fantastic quote from fellow author, Sebastien de Castell:

​"The Justice of Kings is equal parts heroic fantasy and murder mystery. Sir Konrad Vonvalt’s fierce intellect and arcane powers will make you long to follow in his footsteps, but it’s his young clerk, Helena who brings heart and dazzle to the story. Together they’re a formidable team, and Richard Swan’s sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more."

Both of Vikki Patis' soon-to-be-published books, Return to Blackwater House and The House at Helygen (the former written under Victoria Hawthorne) have been given some fantastic endorsements this week, and we couldn't be more pleased:

"A dark tale so expertly weaved and beautifully written, full of living, breathing characters and genuine shocks." 
Louise Beech on Return to Blackwater House

"Dark, thrilling with characters that will stay with me ... One to watch next year."
Carys Jones on Return to Blackwater House

"With an evocative setting and cast of carefully drawn complex characters: the brilliantly executed sense of creeping dread absolutely gripped me! Highly recommended for fans of clever psychological thrillers."
Sarah Bonner on Return to Blackwater House

"An intriguing tale of dark family secrets that unravel down the generations with devastating consequences. Mysterious, atmospheric and chilling."
Anita Frank on The House at Helygen​

While we have to wait a little bit longer to see it published in the English language, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's next book, Night Shadows, has been hailed as a "masterpiece" by a leading Iceandic newspaper. Eva is the author of the commended The Creak on the Stairs and Girls Who Lie.

We will have more news on this fantastic novel very soon, so keep your eyes peeled...!

The cover for Sean Lusk's forthcoming debut novel, The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley, has been revealed and it isn't an exaggeration to say that there was a collective gasp here at DHH HQ when it was shown to us - for t'is a thing of beauty.

With a Dickensian cast of characters, and spanning journeys from London, across Europe, to Constantinople, this is a rich and glorious tale to lose yourself in, plunging headfirst into the world of Zachary Cloudesley...

Around The World In 80 Days writer Stephen Greenhorn is penning an adaptation of James Goodhand’s YA novel Last Lesson for Sanditon producer Red Planet Pictures.

Death In Paradise indie Red Planet has optioned the rights to Goodhand’s debut, which was published last year and examines the psychological breakdown of model student and talented musician Ollie Morcombe after he suffers an horrific accident. Having previously been one of the popular kids, he’s now become an outcast and his life made a living hell by vicious bullies. As Ollie reaches the extremities of breaking point, he takes matters into his own hands and, on the last day of the school year, brings those bullies a gift; a homemade pipe bomb.

Greenhorn, who is part of the writing team on BBC1’s upcoming Around The World In 80 Days adaptation, is penning the series, which is not yet attached to a broadcaster. He is the creator of Scottish BBC soap River City and The Proclaimers musical Sunshine On Leith.

Red Planet Joint MD Belinda Campbell said Last Lesson is “perfect for TV,” although the move into YA represents a “slight departure” for the producer.
​
“It’s written in such a visual and visceral way and is utterly gripping, moving and thrilling,” she added. Goodhand described the adaptation as a “dream come true.”

The Last Lesson deal was struck by Emily Hayward Whitlock at The Artists Partnership on behalf of Harry Illingworth at DHH Literary Agency.

From Deadline article | Max Goldbart