Children’s Rights Guide Autumn 2021
MEET THE TEAM
Allison Cole Head of Children’s Rights allisoncole@davidhigham.co.uk France; Germany; Italy; Portugal; Scandinavia; Spanish World
Olivia Hickman Translation Executive oliviahickman@davidhigham.co.uk Arab World; Asia and the Far East; Brazil; Eastern Europe; the Netherlands; Russia; Turkey; Ukraine
Camille Burns Translation Assistant (part-time) childrenstranslation@davidhigham.co.uk Misc. incl. UK (Scots, Gaelic, Welsh, etc.) Camille also assists the children’s translation team in all territories.
UK & US Rights: Veronique Baxter; Georgia Glover; Anthony Goff; Christabel McKinley; Caroline Walsh; Jessica Woollard Film & TV Rights: Clare Israel; Penelope Killick; Nicky Lund
Frontlist
AGES 5 - 8
Autumn Moonbeam: Dance Magic Emma Finlayson-Palmer
The first in a new series of magical adventures with added dance and sparkles! Autumn Moonbeam loves gymnastics and dance so when Sparkledale Dance Academy have tryouts for their competitive dance team, Black Cats, she thinks it’s the most broom-tastic opportunity ever! Just one problem, Autumn is nervous and worries she won’t make it onto the team. And then she discovers that her nasty neighbour Severina Bloodworth, who is always throwing unpleasant comments her way, is trying out too. But with her best friend Batty by her side can Autumn overcome her shyness, lack of confidence and magical mishaps to be chosen to join Sparkledale Dance Academy? Enchanting, fun and full of heart this is a story about growing into yourself, following your dreams and making new friends along the way. With added stunts and magic, of course! Autumn will be back with another dance-filled tale in Autumn 2022. Emma Finlayson-Palmer is an author, artist and illustrator. She runs #ukteenchat, a writing themed chat on Twitter, mentors for ‘WriteMentor and is one half of Word Witches, an editing and mentoring business. Autumn Moonbeam: Dance Magic is her first book for 5-8 year old readers.
Rights Sold: All rights available
UK: UCLan – July 2022 Editor: Hazel Homes Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA Additional Info: Extent – 6000 words Illustrations – Yes (black and white) by Heidi Cannon Material available – Final files due December 2021 Co-agents: Chinese – Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Japan Uni
AGES 8 +
Call Me Lion Camilla Chester The heart-warming and sensitive story of a ten-year-old boy with acute Selective Mutism (SM) and the blossoming of his first friendship “I’m not stupid. I’m not weird. I’m not ill. I’m Leo. I’m Leo and I’ve just turned ten. I’m Leo, I’ve just turned ten and I still can’t talk.”
COVER COMING SOON!
Leo loves to dance. But he thinks it’s impossible to have friends when he can’t talk. So why is Richa, the girl who has just moved in next door still trying? There’s a heatwave in Luton and it’s too hot for him to think about all of this complicated stuff. But Leo’s life is about to change... Call Me Lion is a testament to friendship, understanding and the power of communication and expression in all its forms.
UK: Firefly Press – July 2022 Editor: Penny Thomas Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA Additional Info: Extent – 30,000 words Illustrations – Yes by Irina Avgustinovich Material Available – TBC Co-agents:
Camilla Chester trained as a primary school teacher but spent most of her working career in the charitable sector. Camilla now runs a small dog walking business in Hertfordshire where she lives with her husband, two children and her dog Stan. Camilla received a distinction in the OU Creative Writing Diploma and was shortlisted in the 2015 National Literacy Trust New Author Prize.
Rights Sold: All rights available
Chinese – Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Japan Uni
AGES 8 +
This is How Change Begins Nicola Davies A powerful poetry collection from the author of The Song that Sings Us publishing to coincide with the UN Climate Change
Conference of the Parties.
COVER COMING SOON!
This is How the Change Begins is a collection of six illuminating poems inspired by the growing threat of climate change. From a consideration of our carbon footprints by way of Islamic mathematician Alhazen, the impact shifting weather conditions are having and will continue to have on our events and celebrations and the choices we have to make to turn the tide, these remarkable poems brilliantly confront the recognisable realities of the climate crisis with bold and lyrical language. Including background notes on the themes behind them, each poem has been typographically designed and arranged to best communicate these essential messages.
UK: Graffeg – October 2021 Editor: Matthew Howard Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA Additional Info: Extent – 64 pages Illustrations – No Material Available – Final files Co-agents:
Nicola Davies has an impressive record as a children’s author in picture books as well as middle-grade and YA fiction. She is a Booktrust writer in residence and a regular at the Hay Festival. Also a zoologist, Nicola was one of the original presenters of the BBC children’s wildlife programme The Really Wild Show. She has been shortlisted for the Brandord Boase and the Blue Peter Book Awards and has published with Walker and Penguin Random House among others.
Rights Sold: All rights available
Chinese – Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Tuttle-Mori
AGES 8 - 1 2
Orla and the Wild Hunt Anna Hoghton An enchanting tale rooted in folklore, and a heart-warming story of family, love and loss
COVER COMING SOON!
Orla and Apollo’s mum died two years ago and Orla has struggled with how strange everything has been since. She’s angry with everyone: with her friends, with Apollo, with Dad. That summer, Orla decides to go visit Gran in Ireland and Apollo insists on coming too.
UK: Chicken House – June 2022 Editor: Rachel Leyshon Primary Agent: CW
Orla hopes that at least at Gran’s things will feel like they used to. But why is Gran acting so funny and what is she hiding in her shed?
Film/TV Rights: CI
Gran always told Orla and Apollo fairy tales, but when she goes missing they are thrown into an adventure where they find out that all Gran’s stories are true. On this journey across Ireland, Orla has to learn to trust the music she’s kept buried inside since Mum died. It might just save Gran’s life.
Extent – 56,900 words Illustrations - No Material Available – TBC
Anna Hoghton has an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University and has worked as a bookseller. She was nominated for the Lancelot Andrewes Poetry Award by Carol Ann Duffy and, in 2016, she was one of fifteen leading U.K. poets commissioned by Bristol Festival of Ideas. Anna Hoghton's debut novel The Mask of Aribella was nominated for Sakura Medal and won the 2020 North Somerset Teachers' Book Award. It was also included in 'best books' roundups in The Guardian, The South Wales Evening Post and The New Statesman. “A captivating fantasy for readers aged eight-plus. This enthralling adventure will make readers yearn for their own masks and powers” The Guardian, on The Mask of Aribella
Option Publishers: Germany dtv Russia Eksmo
Translation Rights: DHA
Additional Info:
Co-agents: Chinese - Bardon Chinese Media Japanese – Japan Uni
Also by Anna Hoghton:
AGES 8 - 1 2
Escape from Atlantis
Also by Kate O’Hearn:
Kate O’Hearn An enchanting middle-grade fantasy-adventure, from the international bestselling author of the Pegasus series, perfect for fans of Percy Jackson The last way that Riley Evans wanted to spend spring break was studying whales on the family sailboat in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. With only her dad, aunt, and annoying cousin Alfie for company, she is so bored staring at the waves that she’s starting to see mermaids between them.
COVER COMING SOON!
But when their boat capsizes during a sudden storm, Riley finds more excitement than she bargained for, as she and Alfie are washed ashore with neither of their parents in sight. Where they’ve been shipwrecked is no desert island, however. Atlantis is a place beyond imagination, inhabited by both people and incredible creatures. But not everyone welcomes the cousins’ arrival, and beneath the wonder of this mythical land lurk dark and dangerous secrets… Kate O’Hearn was born in Canada, raised in New York City, and has travelled all over the United States. She currently resides in England. Kate is the author of the Pegasus series, the Shadow Dragon series, the Titans series, and the Valkyrie series. “A thrill ride of episodic encounters… a fast-paced, satisfying adventure… Give this to young Percy Jackson fans, and try it with readers of Michael Carroll’s Super Human series” Booklist, on Titans
Rights Sold: Enquire for all titles and previous publishers
US: Simon and Schuster – December 2021 Editor: Anna Parsons Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (PK) Additional Info: Extent – 448 pages Illustrations - No Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese - Bardon Chinese Media Japanese - Tuttle-Mori
AGES 8-12
Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters Alexandra Page Enter the exquisitely detailed world of the Sorters, stalwart deliverers of Lost Letters, in this charming Borrowers-infused debut It's 1952 in smog-shrouded London. Christmas might be fast approaching, but with her mum away and Uncle Frank busy running the post office, Penny Black is lonelier than ever. All that changes when Penny discovers a small, fluffy, funny, springy and – most importantly – talking creature in the post office one night, trying to make off with a letter. But Wishyouwas is no thief. He's a Sorter, and he soon introduces Penny to a fascinating secret world hidden in the tunnels underneath the city's streets. Self-appointed guardians of lost mail, the Sorters have dedicated their lives to rescuing letters that have gone astray and making sure they get delivered to their rightful owners. Penny is determined to protect the Sorters, but how long will she be able to keep them safe with Stanley Scrawl, the sinister Royal Mail Rat Catcher, on the prowl? Can Penny save the Sorters and deliver a joyful Christmas? Penny, Wishyouwas and the Sorters will return in a brand new adventure, scheduled for September 2022. Alexandra Page previously worked in production at Penguin, Puffin and Walker. She now works in the City and writes for children part-time. Her first picture book text, The Fire Fox, will be published by the Two Hoots imprint at Macmillan this October. In 2019, Wishyouwas, was shortlisted for the Times Chicken House prize and won the WriteMentor Children’s Novel Award.
Rights Sold: Italian Piemme
UK: Bloomsbury – September 2021 Editor: Hannah Sandford Primary Agent: CMK Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (PK) Additional Info: Extent – 31,500 Illustrations – Yes (black and white) by Penny Neville-Lee Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese – Bardon Chinese Media Japanese – Japan Uni
“Effortlessly festive and charming without being bound to the Christmas period… the most unique and charming animal fantasy adventure for 8+ readers in years and years” Hannah Sandford, Bloomsbury Publishing
AGES 8 - 1 2
The Unmorrow Curse Jasmine Richards Two friends awaken a world of myth and magic in this epic middle-grade fantasy perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Anne Ursu
COVER COMING SOON!
To the eye, Crowmarsh appears much like any other sleepy, rural, town. But at its heart sits the Tangley Woods, where Buzz lives with his family. His eccentric father, the Professor, often disappears into the woods for long stretches at a time – and it has been months since anyone has heard from his mother, who’s on an expedition in the Amazonian rainforest. But it’s with the arrival of a new student at school, an American girl called Mari, that events start taking a decided tilt towards the weird… A wrong turn deep in the Woods sets in motion a sinister plot by the wicked Norse god Loki. Crowmarsh suddenly finds itself stuck in a loop that replays the same day over and over, gradually distorting reality with each repetition. The two new friends are hurtled headfirst into an adventure to recover the lost Runes of Valhalla and stop Loki in his tracks – before their town warps itself to destruction, and there isn’t a home left to return to… Jasmine Richards is co-founder of Storymix, a children’s fiction development studio that creates inclusive stories and nurtures voices from underrepresented backgrounds in children’s books. As an author, she has written The Book of Wonders, Keeper of Myths and Oliver Twisted, as well as for the BeastQuest series. She was also included in Happy Here, an anthology produced by BookTrust, Knights Of and the CLPE of stories by Black British authors and illustrators for primary school children. She is also a screenwriter on series five of PJ Masks.
Rights Sold: All rights available
“Richards excels at weaving stories that mesh the real, modern world and classic mythologies. Readers will clamor for more, especially those who loved Rick Riordan’s Norse-themed The Sword of Summer” Booklist
UK: UCLan – Spring 2022 US: HarperCollins (2015) as The Secrets of Valhalla UK Editor: Hazel Holmes Primary Agent: CW Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (CI) Additional Info: Extent – 66,000 words Illustrations - No Material Available – Edited manuscript in October 2021 Co-agents: Chinese – Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Japan Uni
10+
Aftershocks
Also by Anne Fine:
Anne Fine A middle-grade novel about grief and hope from former Children’s Laureate Anne Fine A family mix-up means Louie has to tag along with his engineer father and his team as they head for a routine job in the farthest flung and most neglected province of the Federation.
COVER COMING SOON!
A massive earthquake, with ensuing tsunami, devastates the entire isolated coastal region, laying bare the other-worldly manner in which the silent and strange Endlanders deal with life, death, and the hinterlands of memory and loss. Their curious and unsettling ways raise ghosts for Louie, who has recently lost his own brother. This modern fable – part ghost-story, part coming-of-age novel, and part astute social and family observation – explores the ways in which grief can affect not only individuals, but communities at large.
UK: Old Barn Books – February 2022 Editor: Ruth Huddleston Primary Agent: AG Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (CI) Additional Info: Extent – 50,000 words Illustrations - No Material Available – Final manuscript Co-agents:
A distinguished writer for children of all ages, and former Children’s Laureate, Anne Fine has written over 70 books for children, including two Carnegie Medal winners, Goggle-Eyes (1990) and Flour Babies (1994). Adaptations of Bill’s New Frock and Goggle-Eyes have been screened by the BBC and Twentieth Century Fox filmed her novel Madame Doubtfire as Mrs Doubtfire. Her works have been translated into more than 25 languages. “Fine couldn't write an unengaging novel if she tried… this is supremely professional writing” Independent, on The Devil Walks
Rights Sold: Enquire for all titles and previous publishers
Chinese – Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese - Tuttle-Mori
12+
The Song that Sings Us Nicola Davies Stunning epic environmental fantasy-adventure from world-class storyteller at a time of global climate emergency ‘Harlon sees the lantern beams, slicing up the mountains toward her home. They’ve come at last, the people called the Automators. The red symbol on their black uniforms is a fist closing round the Earth and now it’s closing around her family too: they’ve come to take her brother and her sister. But she and Ma won’t let them.’ Harlon has been raised to protect her younger siblings, twins Ash and Xeno, and their outlawed power of communicating with animals. But when the sinister Automators attack their mountain home, Xeno is kidnapped and Harlon and Ash are separated. In a thrilling and dangerous environmental adventure they must all journey alone through ice fields and forests of Rumyc, and over oceans, to try to find each other and fulfil a mysterious promise made to their mother. Nicola Davies has an impressive record as a children’s author in picture books as well as middle-grade and YA fiction. She is a Booktrust writer in residence and a regular at the Hay Festival. Also a zoologist, Nicola was one of the original presenters of the BBC children’s wildlife programme The Really Wild Show. She has been shortlisted for the Brandord Boase and the Blue Peter Book Awards and has published with Walker and Penguin Random House among others.
Rights Sold: All rights available
“The feel of an absolute modern classic about it ... Hope and beauty are a hard song to sing, but Nicola does, and this is it’” Jackie Morris
UK: Firefly – October 2021 UK Editor: Penny Thomas Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (CI) Additional Info: Extent – 432 pages Illustrations – No Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese - Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Tuttle-Mori
TEEN
Baby
Also by Jacqueline Wilson:
Jacqueline Wilson 1960: Cliff Richard is top of the charts, the Beatles have just formed, and Coronation Street is starting on TV. Laura is in all the newspapers – but not for the reasons she had dreamed Laura Peterson doesn’t feel like a little girl anymore, even if her mum keeps calling her one. With the summer holidays stretching out before her, she can’t wait to spend time with her new best friend Nina. When Nina returns from a holiday in France, she’s boy-crazed and Laura wants no part of it. But, after one fateful afternoon at the local lido, Laura’s life is changed forever. Keeping her worries secret for months, her world comes crashing down when her Mum forces her to see the doctor. That same afternoon, Laura finds herself on a train to the depths of Sussex, worrying about her future – and her baby’s. Jacqueline Wilson is a multi-award-winning author and a former Children’s Laureate. She has won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Children’s Book of the Year Award, and was appointed a Dame for services to children’s literature. The author of over 100 titles, Jacqueline has sold more than 40 million books worldwide. “There's a reason why Jacqueline Wilson has sold more than 40m books. Yet again she delivers a touching, bittersweet drama about ordinary, credible lives. The characterization is spot on, showing real insight into how youngsters think, talk and behave” Financial Times, on Love, Frankie
Rights Sold: Enquire for all titles and previous publishers
UK: Doubleday Children’s – March 2022 UK Editor: Kelly Hurst Primary Agent: CW Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: Haworth Agency Additional Info: Extent – TBC Illustrations – No Material Available – Final files due December 2021 Co-agents: Chinese – Bardon Chinese Media Japanese – Tuttle-Mori
YOUNG ADULT
The Regency Faerie Tales Olivia Atwater
K CLIC R FO E! MOR
Featuring strong-willed, justice-oriented heroines and tender romance, these are pitch-perfect fairy tales for teens and adults, set in a charming and magical version of Regency England In Half a Soul, faerie-cursed Theodora Ettings has no sense of fear, embarrassment, or even happiness — a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora’s only goal for the London Season is to stay quiet and avoid upsetting her cousin’s chances at finding a husband… But when the Lord Sorcier of England learns of her condition, she finds herself drawn ever more deeply into the tumultuous concerns of magicians and faeries. In Ten Thousand Stitches Euphemia Reeves finds life as a maid so awful that she is willing to risk even her immortal soul for a chance at something better. Now, Effie has one hundred days and ten thousand stitches to make Lord Ashbrooke’s son fall in love with her and propose... if her faerie godfather, Lord Blackthorn, doesn't wreck things by accident, that is. For Effie’s greatest obstacle might well be Lord Blackthorn’s overwhelmingly good intentions… The latest instalment in the series weaves a dark faerie tale full of defiant hope. With the world of magicians looming, Longshadow brings a new side of Olivia Atwater’s Regency England to life with her characteristic wit and passion for social justice. Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. She lives in Montreal, Quebec with her fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and her two cats. She has been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repairperson.
Rights Sold: All rights available
UK&US: TBC – Summer 2022 Primary Agent: CMK Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (PK) Additional Info: Extent – 258 pages (Book 1) 260 pages (Book 2) Illustrations - No Material Available – Full manuscript Co-agents: Chinese – Bardon Chinese Media Japanese – Tuttle-Mori
YOUNG ADULT
Never Shall I Ever Forget You Jamila Gavin A heartbreaking and gripping story of hope, fear and unbreakable friendship, for readers of Code Name Verity Gwen, Noor, Dodo and Vera are four very different teenage girls, with something in common. Their parents are all abroad, leaving them in their English boarding school, where they soon form an intense friendship. Then the war comes. The girls find themselves flung to different corners of the war, from the flying planes in the Air Training Auxiliary to going undercover in the French Resistance. Each journey brings danger and uncertainty as each of them wonders if they can make it through – and what will be left of the world. Against this impossible backdrop, they find new connections and the possibility of love. Will the four friends ever see each other again? And when the war is over, who will be left to tell the story? Jamila Gavin was born in Mussoorie, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas. The family settled in England where Jamila completed her schooling, was a music student, worked for the BBC and became a mother of two children. Her book, Coram Boy, was published to critical acclaim and won the Children’s Whitbread Award, as well as being short listed for the Carnegie Medal. “An engrossing historical novel with life well beyond the pages of the book and superb narrative control over complex stories” The Guardian, on Coram Boy
Rights Sold: All rights available
UK: Farshore – January 2022 UK Editor: Liz Bankes Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: Casarotto Ramsay Additional Info: Extent – 384 pages Illustrations – No Material Available – Edited manuscript due Autumn 2021 Co-agents: Chinese – Bardon Chinese Media Japanese – Tuttle-Mori
Recent Highlights
AGES 7 - 9
Goodfellows
“A totally hilarious story, brilliantly written and amusingly illustrated – with clear undercurrents of reality” Praise for The Accidental Prime Minister from Parents in Touch
Tom McLaughlin
A picture-perfect English family on a trip to New York find themselves accidentally caught up in a mafia heist in this hilarious adventure Meet the Goodfellows – as perfect a family as you could imagine. Dad is a dentist, mum is an active member of the local community, and the two kids, Camilla and Michael, are popular and talented students at their local school. When they win a family holiday to New York City, they couldn't be more excited - but, little do they know, they are about to find themselves in a very dangerous case of mistaken identity... Unwittingly entangled with the local mafia, for the first time ever the Goodfellows find themselves on the side of the BAD guys. It's a glamorous but dangerous life - will they succumb to the dark side, or be able to use their powers of good to take on The Bad Guys? Tom McLaughlin studied illustration at Falmouth College of Arts and worked as a political cartoonist before pursuing children's books full-time. He is bestknown now for his Accidental series which has been nominated for over a dozen awards. As well as writing illustrated chapter books, Tom has published many picture books and garnered a Kate Greenaway Medal nomination for The Story Machine.
Rights Sold: All rights available
UK&US: Barrington Stoke – August 2021 Editor: Ailsa Bathgate Primary Agent: CW Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (CI) Additional Info: Extent – 7500 words Illustrations – Yes (black and white) Material available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese - Bardon Chinese Media Japanese - Tuttle-Mori
AGES 8 - 1 2
'A wickedly fun debut by Alex Foulkes, with a wonderfully strong girl hero in Leo the vampire, and delightfully dark illustrations by Sara Ogilvie.’ Cressida Cowell
Rules for Vampires Alex Foulkes A deliciously dark and comic middle grade debut for fans of Lemony Snicket and Skulduggery Pleasant There are highs and lows to being a vampire. On one claw, you get cool powers like beastly strength and hypnotism and the ability to GRIMWALK. On the other claw, however, vampires are bound by the Vampiric Laws: rules to protect the balance between the worlds of the Living and the Undead. And unfortunately, 11-year-old Leo has just forgotten rule number one . . . The Rules for Vampires don't tell you what to do when you make a ghostly enemy, or accidentally restart an ancient war. But Leo and her very unusual family are more than up to the job. A monstrously funny and devilishly dark new adventure from debut talent Alex Foulkes, illustrated throughout by the award-winning Sara Ogilvie, Rules for Vampires is the series that fans of Lemony Snicket and Skulduggery Pleasant will devour for breakfast. Alex Foulkes is a graduate of English Literature and Creative Writing and works as a teaching assistant and school librarian. Rules for Vampires is her debut novel, written in furtive moments stolen between classes and in large part inspired by her students. She lives in the eerily-named ‘the Moorlands’ and, when not scribbling away, likes to lurk in the shadows.
Rights Sold: French Bayard Jeunesse Italian Mondadori Russian Azbooka Spanish Anaya
UK&US: Simon & Schuster – September 2021 UK Editor: Lucy Pearse US Editor Kristin Gilson Primary Agent: CW Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (PK) Additional Info: Extent – 59,000 words Illustrations – Yes (black and white, by Sara Ogilvie) Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese - Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Japan Uni
AGES 8 - 1 2
Jane Austen Investigates Series Julia Golding
K CLIC R FO E! MOR
A young Jane Austen becomes a budding detective – uncovering truths wherever she goes. The perfect series for fans of Murder Most Unladylike In The Abbey Mystery, Jane is sent in her sister’s stead to be companion to Lady Cromwell for a week. Jane embarks on this adventure in excited anticipation to solve the mystery of the ghostly monk in the Abbey grounds - for she does not believe in such stories! But this is far from the only mystery for adventurous young Jane to solve. In The Burglar’s Ball young Jane and her older sister Cassandra are off to a Georgian prom to celebrate the end of term at their old boarding school. But when a prominent family’s diamond-encrusted headband is stolen minutes before the ball begins, it is up to Jane to save a friend from a devastating false accusation, and to uncover who was really behind the theft. With the ever-present Austen spirit, Jane with notebook in hand and faithful dog, Grandison, by her side, boldly overcomes the obstacles to finding the truth and stands up not only for herself but for those on the margins of her late 18th-century world. A third book in the series is scheduled for Autumn 2022. Julia Golding is the award-winning author of over fifty books for children, young adults and adults. She worked as a British diplomat and Oxfam policy adviser before obtaining a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University and deciding to write full-time. Her writing for children includes the award-winning Cat Royal series, beginning with The Diamond of Drury Lane and, most recently, the historical middle grade The Tigers in the Tower.
Rights Sold: French Albin Michel
“Clever, playful and gripping. A real treat for bookworms.” Lucy Strange
UK: Lion Hudson – April & October 2021 Editor: Deborah Lock Primary Agent: CW Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (CI) Additional Info: Extent – 192 pages (Book 1) 176 pages (Book 2) Illustrations - No Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese - Bardon Chinese Media Japanese Tuttle-Mori
AGES 8 - 1 2
The Primrose Railway Children Jacqueline Wilson E. Nesbit’s classic The Railway Children is vividly reimagined for today by bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson When Dad suddenly has to go away, Phoebe is positive he is filming a special television show about surviving on a desert island – just like his Robinson Crusoe-inspired series which made him really famous years before she was born. It doesn’t matter if Mum seems more exasperated than usual, or that her boy-obsessed sister and sciencemad brother don’t understand, because Phoebe knows Dad better than anyone. But then Mum whisks them away to a dilapidated old cottage for a holiday in the middle of the school term. There they discover a steam railway, kept running by a team of dedicated volunteers from the nearby village. While everything seems to be crumbling around them, the children are surprised to find solace, friendship and adventure on board the steam trains of the Primrose Railway. But the longer Dad is away, the more Phoebe begins to doubt if she really knew him after all. Jacqueline Wilson is a multi-award-winning author and a former Children’s Laureate. She has won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Children’s Book of the Year Award, and was appointed a Dame for services to children’s literature. The author of over 100 titles, Jacqueline has sold more than 40 million books worldwide.
Rights Sold: Enquire for all titles and previous publishers
UK: Penguin Random House – October 2021 Editor: Kelly Hurst Primary Agent: CW Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: Haworth Agency Additional Info: Extent – 512 pages Illustrations – Yes (black & white, by Rachael Dean) Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese – Bardon Chinese Media Japanese – Tuttle-Mori
Also by Jacqueline Wilson:
YOUNG ADULT
The Book of the Baku R. L. Boyle A Monster Calls meets The Shining in this haunting YA dark fantasy about a monster that breaks free from a story into the real world. https://www.notion.so/davidhigham/The-Book-of-the-Baku-825c4699827c45f096ae89b8d5332f70
Sean hasn’t been able to speak a word since he was put into care, and is sent to live with his grandad, a retired author whom he has never met before. Suddenly living an affluent life, nothing like the world of the estate he grew up in, where gangs run the streets and violence is around every corner, Sean spends his time drawing, sculpting and reading his grandad’s stories. But his grandad has secrets of his own in his past. As he retreats to the shed, half-buried in his treasured garden, Sean finds one of his stories about The Baku, a creature that eats the fears of children. Plagued by horrible, vivid nightmares and with darkness spreading through the house, Sean must finally face the truth if he’s to have a chance to free himself and his grandfather from the grip of the Baku. R. L. Boyle studied Classical Civilisation at the University of Leeds, after which she worked in a variety of jobs none of which had anything to do with her degree. Her debut, The Book of the Baku, will be published in 2021. Rosanna lives in Leeds with her husband and three sons.
Rights Sold: All rights available
UK: Titan Books – June 2021 Editor: George Sandison Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (PK) Additional Info: Extent – 57,000 words Illustrations – No Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese - Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Japan Uni
YOUNG ADULT
The Outrage
Also by William Hussey:
William Hussey
"You know, when you live in a time of progress, it seems that progress is the only possible way. The idea that everything we'd gained, all of those hard-won rights, could be taken away from us, and that open minds could be closed again? But then the Outrage happened." https://www.notion.so/The-Outrage-d173827111114ea2bb08731c075aa25d
Welcome to England, where the Protectorate enforces the Public Good. Here, there are rules for everything - what to eat, what to wear, what to do, what to say, what to read, what to think, who to obey, who to hate, who to love. Your safety is assured, so long as you follow the rules. Gabriel is a natural born rule-breaker. And his biggest crime of all? Being gay. Gabriel knows his sexuality must be kept secret from all but his closest friends, not only to protect himself, but to protect his boyfriend. Because Eric isn't just the boy who has stolen Gabriel's heart. He's the son of the chief inspector at Degenerate Investigations - the man who poses the single biggest threat to Gabriel's life. And the Protectorate are experts at exposing secrets. William Hussey is the award-winning author of six books for children and Young Adults. As a gay man and a visiting author, he has spoken to hundreds of LGBTQ+ students, both in UK schools and worldwide. Hearing their stories of modern intolerance, prejudice and the tragic consequences this can lead to, he has written what he hopes is not only a moving love story but a raw and powerful reflection of the experience of gay teens today.
Option Publishers: Germany dtv Italy Mondadori
UK: Usborne - June 2021 Editor: Stephanie King Primary Agent: VB Translation Rights: DHA Film/TV Rights: DHA (CI) Additional Info: Extent – 78,000 words Illustrations – No Material Available – Final files Co-agents: Chinese – Andrew Nurnberg Associates Japanese – Japan Uni
Co-Agents China: Andrew Nurnberg Associates / Bardon Chinese Media Agency Czech and Slovak: Kristin Olson Literarni Agentura Hungary: Katai & Bolza Indonesia: Maxima Creative Agency Japan: Tuttle-Mori / Japan Uni Korea: Eric Yang Agency Poland: Anna Jarota Agency Romania: Simona Kessler Agency Russia: Van Lear Agency Serbia: Plima Literary Agency Thailand: The Silkroad Agency Turkey: AnatoliaLit Agency US: Adams Literary