By Alice Warburton, Georgie Cutler and Eva Lee
Acquisition News
Hachette UK Acquire Paperblanks
Paperblanks, who publish high-quality stationery such as notebooks and journals, has been bought by Hachette UK. Following the signing of a contract on 14 January 2022, they now own a 100% share of the company. Hachette plans to make Paperblanks become a standalone business run by Deputy Group CEO, Richard Kitson. It will become two establishments: Paperblanks Journals Limited, a Canadian company that will run business in the North and Latin America, and the Irish company Paperblanks Limited, which will become the new global headquarters. CEO of Paperblanks, Graham Conway, notes that he is “brimming with excitement about the future as we embark on writing the next chapter of the Paperblanks’ story.”
Deliciously Ella to Release New Cookbook
Yellow Kite publishers have snapped up cookbook superstar Ella Mills’ new book How to Go Plant-Based: The Definitive Guide for You and Your Family. This new publication reveal follows in the footsteps of her five other Sunday Times bestsellers, the latest one being Deliciously Ella: Quick and Easy, released in 2020. Rights were acquired by Liz Gough from Cathryn Summerhays at Curtis Brown. Hachette Australia and New Zealand and US Mobius will simultaneously publish alongside Yellow Kite on 18 August 2022, when it will be available as an e-book and hardback.
Usborne to Publish G M Linton’s Middle-grade Debut
Usborne is set to publish My Name is Sunshine Simpson, after winning a seven-way auction. The book, which discusses family and being proud of your heritage, will be published in June 2022. Usborne have said that it will have a high-level marketing and PR campaign, including taking it to the Bologna Book Fair where it is expected to gain a lot of traction. Rights were acquired by commissioning editor Stephanie King, from RCW’s Claire Wilson. It is expected that the final copy will “include engaging mini fact files about key historical and contemporary Black figures to inspire young readers.”
From book to screen
Death on the Nile is Coming to Cinemas
Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile hits screens for the third time with Kenneth Branagh’s new adaptation. This film follows Murder on the Orient Express, which came out in 2017. Branagh has returned to direct, and Michael Green has once again written the screenplay. Alongside Branagh reprising his role as Poirot, the cast shall include the likes of Tom Bateman, Gal Gadot, Annette Bening and Letitia Wright. Originally published in 1937, Death on the Nile features Hercule Poirot (Branagh) on holiday on the S.S. Karnak on the River Nile. When an heiress passenger is murdered, Poirot must halt his holiday to investigate the crew and fellow passengers to find the murderer. Death on the Nile will be in cinemas on 11 February 2022.
Kate Sawyer’s The Stranding to be Adapted for the Screen
A recent release of the past year, The Stranding has had its TV and film rights sold to Born In Me Productions. Afua Hirsch, the founder of Born In Me Productions, and Kate Sawyer are set to work together to adapt the novel for the screen. The Stranding won the East Anglian Book Awards’ 2021 Fiction Prize and was shortlisted for the 2021 Costa First Novel Award. It follows a woman’s journey to survive after a cataclysmic world event. A story of hope – we can’t wait to see how this will be adapted for the screen. As of yet, there is no information as to when The Stranding will be released or where we can watch it.
Martin Scorsese to Direct Crime film Killers of the Flower Moon
The non-fiction crime novel will have a film adaptation and will be directed by Martin Scorsese, with the screenplay by Eric Roth. The novel released in 2017 is listed by Time magazine as one of the top ten non-fiction books of 2017 and follows the investigations of a series of murders of members of the Osage tribe in the US during the 1920s. The main cast will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons and Lily Gladstone. DiCaprio and Scorsese will also serve as producers, marking their latest collaboration since The Wolf of Wall Street. The film is set to be released sometime in 2022 in cinemas and on Apple TV+.
All The Light We Cannot See Coming to Netflix
All the Light We Cannot See, written by Anthony Doerr, is set to be adapted into a four-episode Netflix series. The war novel published in 2014 will be based around occupied France during World War II, with a blind French girl who crosses paths with a German soldier as they survive their way through the dangers of the Nazi occupation. It has been announced that Aria Mia Loberti, Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie will star in the series so far. It will be directed by Shawn Levy, known for his recent works such as Stranger Things, along with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight for the screenplay. Keep your eyes peeled for more information.