Storm has acquired three novels by Ola Tundun, including her debut The Chaos of Us.

Editorial director Emily Gowers acquired world English language rights from Emily Glenister. Following the messy, chaotic lives of Ariella, Caleb and their extended family and friends, the first part of what the publisher describes as “this powerful, modern love story” will be released in September 2023.

Gowers said: “I have to pinch myself that I’m working with Ola and Emily on these incredible stories. The characters Ola has created are so deeply real and relatable, and from page one I was completely absorbed in their turbulent lives. Ola has a gift for lighting up the darkest times with humour and hope, and I know that readers are going to fall hard for Ariella and Caleb and this intense and beautiful love story.”

Tundun said: “I started this journey writing a book that I knew I would enjoy reading, because being a published author was a dream I never dared to have. Not many things make me feel more fulfilled than creating spaces for characters to be themselves, but getting the absolute privilege to share my writing with readers feels incredible.

“Emily Glenister’s kindness, brilliance, wit and unrelenting support as my Fairy God Agent lit the way to a dynamic home at Storm Publishing where I have the pleasure of working with Emily Gowers. I’m excited to work with an editor who not only believes in the characters and story; but is always an effervescent vessel of ideas, knowledge, positivity and experience. I’m thrilled to be able to call myself an author, but what I am looking forward to is engaging with communities of readers, discussing my writing with audiences hoping to connect, and the brand new, unexpected adventure this opportunity brings.”
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Glenister said that from the moment she and Tundun sat down with Gowers, “it was clear as day she was the perfect editor for The Chaos of Us.” She added: “Her passion and vision for the book were unparalleled. As for it being Ola’s debut novel […] she manages to balance pathos with laugh-out-loud moments, and this story is full of genuine heart and joy.”

From The Bookseller article | Lauren Brown

​Congratulations to Thomas D. Lee, whose upcoming debut novel, Perilous Times, was included in BookBub's Must Read SFF List for Spring '23:

​Client Paul Burston will be taking part in an event at Goldsboro Books' Brighton branch. 

Paul will be talking about his deeply personal memoir, We Can Be Heroes, which will be published on 1st June 2023.

With complimentary drinks included, this free event will be from 6pm on the 23rd May and you can book your tickets here - be sure to book your slot so as not to miss out!

Aria has scooped The Revenge Club, a book exploring "the residual sexism women face", and a second book from author and comedian Kathy Lette. Editorial director Rachel Faulkner-Willcocks acquired world language rights from David Headley.

Lette’s first new book, The Revenge Club, will be published in hardback, audio and e-book in March 2024. It follows the lives of four women in their 20s, who "forged an intense and life-defining friendship – only to see it crash and burn with disastrous effect".

The publisher synopsis said: "Thirty years later, the estranged friends are happy and successful, but as they reach their 50s, they find themselves put out to pasture, undermined by the men in their lives. Determined not to take their betrayal lying down, the women reunite to wreak revenge and, at the same time, discover hidden strengths and surprising new desires for their second acts."

The deal includes Lette’s backlist, which will be re-released, including titles such as How to Kill Your Husband (originally Simon & Schuster UK) and Mad Cows (originally Picador), as well as two books not previously published in the UK, HRT: Husband Replacement Therapy (Penguin) and Till Death, or a Little Light Maiming, Do Us Part (Random House Australia/Vintage Australia).

Faulkner-Willcocks said: "Few authors have the capacity to make readers laugh like Kathy does – and I suspect many of us need to laugh more than ever at the moment. But beneath the humour, Kathy’s writing is always sharp and thought-provoking, and this new book is no exception.

"The Revenge Club explores the residual sexism women face at home and in the workplace, particularly once they reach ‘a certain age’. It’s a hugely important conversation, and handled with Kathy’s signature candour and wit, this new book is sure to delight Kathy’s fans, and bring her books to a whole new generation of readers."

Lette first achieved success as a teenager with the novel Puberty Blues (Pan Macmillan), which was made into a major film and a TV mini-series. Since then, her novels have been published in 17 languages around the world and adapted for stage, film, TV and opera. 

She commented: "I fell in love with Head of Zeus for their energy, wit, grit and panache. This vibrant team understands that women do not pass our amuse-by date. Having more or less invented ‘chick lit’, ‘mummy lit’ and ‘nip lit’, I feel it’s time for a new genre which champions women in their prime. (‘I-Don’t-Give-A-Shit-Lit’ perhaps?)

"Baby boomers have redefined every decade we’ve lived in and now we’re going to redefine getting older. From 50 to 60 is a pivotal moment for a woman. We’ve had the kids, the marriages, the divorces, the promotions, the betrayals, the heartbreaks and the breakdowns, and learnt from them all. Now it’s time for a glorious second act — and for publishing to embrace novels that reflect this trend.

"If a woman is healthy in middle age, then she’ll probably live to 96, which means there’s a hell of a lot of experiences still to be had and books to be read – and the fun and life-affirming Revenge Club will encourage women of a certain age to go forth and be fabulous. The dynamic and innovative team at Head of Zeus are the perfect publishers to kickstart this bold, joyous and exhilarating new brand."
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Headley added: "Representing Kathy Lette is a highlight of my career. Her books have an important message; Kathy’s voice is more relevant than it has ever been, and I am privileged to be her ambassador in getting the word out. It is also incredibly exciting that the film rights for this book have already been snapped up. I am so excited with Head of Zeus’ passion and vision, and I can’t wait for readers to absorb themselves back into Kathy Lette’s incredible storytelling."

From The Bookseller​ article | Melina Spanoudi

The cover for Eva Björg Ægisdóttir's You Can't See Me​ has been revealed! This is the prequel to her bestselling Forbidden Iceland series, and will be published in July this year by Orenda Books.

The book also snapped up the Storytel Award for 'Best Novel'. ​The Awards are the Nordic region's largest audiobook award. Around 130,000 Nordic audiobook listeners vote for their favourites.

The gorgeous new summery read from Jo Thomas, Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe, ​has had its cover revealed from Transworld:

Clients Sean Lusk and Essie Fox will be taking part in an event alongside fellow author Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

They will be diving in to the rich and complex world of historical writing, the stories that can be told within these worlds that touch on reality but create a sense of surrealism. Join these three wonderful historical fiction minds and find out the ins and outs of how history serves to inspire them.

​Tickets available here.

Our final cover reveal this week comes in the form of All the Little Liars, the brand new book from Sunday Times top 10 bestselling author, Victoria Selman (Truly, Darkly, Deeply​), which will be released in September this year.

Storytel themselves is one of the world’s largest subscribed audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers listening and reading of more than 500,000 titles on a global scale. Their vision is to "make the world a more empathetic and creative place with great stories to be shared and enjoyed by anyone, anywhere and anytime". ​

The cover reveal for Anita Frank's forthcoming new novel, The Good Liars (August 2023, HQ)​, has been revealed!

Also published this week was the paperback for Graham Bartlett's debut, Bad For Good, and the hardback for the follow-up, Force of Hate. 

Set in modern-day Brighton, within a corrupt police force, the series has been described as "like Line of Duty on crack"!

Vital Organs​, the second book from medical historian and TikTok sensation, Suzie Edge, has been revealed:

Aria has acquired two historical novels from M. J. Robotham, a pen name of author Mandy Robotham. The world English language deal was brokered by Aria editorial director Rachel Faulkner-Willcocks and Broo Doherty of the DHH Literary Agency. The first book, The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux, will publish in hardback, e-book and audio, in January 2024.

Taking the form of a faux autobiography of eponymous author Ruby, The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux is set in the second half of the 20th century. It follows the life story of a woman "determined to live life on her own terms as she navigates the latter half of the 20th century, from suburban life during the war to [...] Venice and war-torn Vietnam, meeting men and adventure along the way". 

Faulkner-Willcocks said: "I’ve honestly not encountered many characters as brilliant as Ruby Devereaux. Her memoirs, drawn from her by a mercenary publisher, are a delightful and empowering rollercoaster ride through recent history, written through Ruby’s unique perspective, and of course with Mandy’s trademark flair and impeccable research. Reading on submission, I had to remind myself that Ruby was a fictional character, she felt so real to me. We’re hugely excited to bring her story to the world."

Robotham added: "I’m so delighted to be joining the team at Aria with a new slant to my writing. Ruby has been sitting on my shoulder for the past two years, making me laugh with her incorrigible ways, and so it’s high time she went out into the world again, this time in print. I only hope the world is ready for her!"

Doherty commented: "Reminiscent in tone to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this is a monumental book, both in terms of the history it covers so engagingly, but also in terms of Ruby herself. Her story is quite simply scandalous but utterly phenomenal."
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Robotham holds an MA in Creative Writing and now writes full-time as Mandy Robotham following a career as a midwife.

From The Bookseller article | Melina Spanoudi

Finally, we were over the moon to hear that both M. W. Craven and Graham Bartlett have been shortlisted for the CrimeFest Awards 2023 (in association with Specsavers). 

Up for the Best ePub Crime Award is Craven's The Botanist, the fifth outing for his bestselling Washington Poe series. 

And nominated for the Best Debut Crime Award is Bartlett's Bad For Good, the first in his Cs Jo Howe series.

​Congratulations, both!

imagination. The premise is stunning: A young woman’s job of enforcing climate-emergency Britain’s one-child policy is compromised when she discovers a personal link to an illegal sibling on the ministry hit-list, leading to a shocking discovery that changes everything. Eve's world-building is so believable, so prescient, it's almost terrifying.

Eve is a true talent in a very crowded market, and her ability to weave topical issues, science and an authentic glimpse of our potential future into exceptionally paced, beautifully written and exceedingly tense narratives is quite simply second to none. To have your debut thriller compared to Michael Crichton is an exceptional feat, and speaks volumes about Eve's prowess. We cannot wait to publish more of her extraordinary, blockbuster thrillers." 

Smith said: "I am so excited to continue working with Karen and the Orenda Books team who have really championed me and my writing, and always supported my dystopian visions with the greatest enthusiasm! I can't wait for my next thriller, One, to hit the shelves this summer."

One will be published in July later this year.