By Georgie Cutler, Eva Lee, Emma Leask, Molly Pearce and Niamh Parr
Acquisition News
Usborne acquires two more 'Alex Neptune' books
David Owen, who made his middle-grade debut in August 2022 with the first 'Alex Neptune' book, will have two more books in the same series published by Usborne. The second book Alex Neptune, Pirate Hunter was published on 2 March, with the third book to be published in July 2023. The series has received incredible praise from middle-grade authors including Sarah Driver ('The Huntress' trilogy) and Jasbinder Bilan (Asha and the Spirit Bird). The first book, Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief, follows Alex and his best friend Zoey as they help an imprisoned water dragon break free. With the help of some friendly sea creatures along the way, Alex unlocks a powerful connection to the ocean. The series is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and the next two books in the series promise to provide even more adventures for Alex and his friends.
Foreman’s The Snowman and The Robin Coming Soon from Scholastic
British classic The Snowman originated from the creative mind of illustrator and author Raymond Briggs. It has been over forty years since the first publication of The Snowman and, in that time, various authors and filmmakers have added to the magic of Briggs’s work. Writer and illustrator Michael Foreman is the most recent to take up Briggs’s beloved characters, as his new book The Snowman and The Robin has been signed by Scholastic. Foreman’s story takes place on a cold evening in London as newly-acquainted friends The Snowman and The Robin embark on an adventure together. During their night of travels, The Snowman discovers that the world is truly wonderful, even if his own time in the world is brief. Linas Alsenas, Executive Editor at Scholastic UK, acquired world rights directly from the author. The Snowman and The Robin will be published in October 2023 in hardback editions.
Min’s Posthumous Novel Won by Fleet
Katherine Min’s second novel The Fetishist has been won by Fleet – a publishing imprint of Little, Brown Book Group – in an impressive four-way auction. The novel will be a posthumous publication, as the author passed away in 2019 after battling with breast cancer since 2014, when she had already started writing The Fetishist. Now, a few years after her death, the novel is ready for publication. The story follows three principal characters – Kyoko, a punk singer grieving the loss of her mother; Daniel, a violinist who once played with Kyoko’s mother and Alma, the beautiful woman who is the love of Daniel’s life. Kyoko believes that the failed relationship between her mother and Daniel is the reason behind her mother’s death and plans to get revenge on Daniel by kidnapping him – only for nothing to go as planned. Promising to be a gripping story, The Fetishist is awaiting publication and is coming soon in 2024.
From Book to Screen
What to watch?
One True Love coming out in cinemas and streaming platforms
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel One True Love is set to get a movie adaptation coming out very soon. The story follows Emma, who is confronted with the sudden disappearance of her husband. Fast forward a few years later, with her husband a lost man and presumed dead, she struggles to deal with the loss but soon meets a new love and is engaged. When, out of the blue, her husband miraculously appears in her life again, Emma faces the awkward choice of returning to her husband or starting a new life with her new lover. This love triangle story will star Phillipa Soo as Emma along with Simu Liu and Luke Bracey as the two love interests. If you love a bit of rom-com then good news as One True Love is set to release in cinemas on 7 April and on streaming platforms on 28 April.
Jesus Revolution film adaptation
Greg Laurie and Ellen Santilli Vaughn’s 2018 novel, Jesus Revolution, on the revival and rejuvenation of evangelicalism in 1960s and 1970s America, has been adapted into a 2023 faith-based film of the same name. The film stars The Kissing Booth’s Joel Courtney, The Chosen’s Jonathan Roumie and Fraiser’s Kelsey Grammer. Directed by John Erwin and Brent McCorkle, this uplifting and inspirational tale documents the true story of the largest nationwide spiritual awakening in America. A group of hippie teenagers become inadvertently central to this Jesus movement, meeting several unexpected characters along the way. Jesus Revolution hit US cinemas in late February and will soon be available in UK cinemas.
In the Works
Janice Hallett’s bestseller to be adapted by Birdie Pictures
Founded by The Last Kingdom’s producer Phil Temple, Birdie Pictures is developing The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels as a television series. Janice Hallett’s third novel focuses on Amanda Bailey, a true-crime author determined to uncover the truth behind a cult who believed a baby was the anti-Christ.
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