By Georgie Cutler, Eva Lee, Emma Leask, Molly Pearce and Niamh Parr
Acquisition News
Dark Contemporary Folktale by Rose Acquired at Auction by W&N
As the result of a six-way auction, debut novel The Lamb by Lucy Rose has been acquired by W&N, a literary imprint of Hachette Orion, with UK and Commonwealth rights snagged by Publishing Director Alexa von Hirschberg. The Lamb is a contemporary folktale that concerns mother and daughter duo Ruth and Margot, who live together in a forest cottage and share the custom of abducting and eating lost travellers. Rose explores themes of corrupt mother-daughter relationships, first loves and queerness and horror in the form of cannibalism; the dark topics of the novel reflect the ways in which women swallow tough emotions such as anger and desire, and the storyline follows the attempts of Margot to break free from the cycle of abuse that is all she knows. For US publication, The Lamb has also been pre-empted by Noah Eaker and Edie Astley at Harper, the flagship imprint of HarperCollins. The Lamb is set to be published by W&N in January 2025 in hardback, audio and eBook.
UCLan Publishing to Release Devon’s Second YA Novel
Natasha Devon, author of Toxic, is to be published again by UCLan Publishing with Babushka. Her newest YA novel is a prequel to her debut and is currently set for publication on 5 October 2023. Toxic follows seventeen-year-old Llewella, who is struggling with the pressures placed on her by social media and in trying to navigate toxic friendships. Babushka tells the story of Llewella’s mum Cerys, following her as she becomes pregnant with Llewella at seventeen and moves to South Wales. The prequel will give fans answers to questions raised in the first book, which have no doubt left readers wanting to know more about the lives of the two women. Devon explores the reasons behind Cerys’ seemingly distant attitude in Toxic and the story behind Llewella’s biological father. This is likely to be an emotional read for fans of Toxic and a brilliant YA novel that dives into important themes in today’s society. Now is the perfect time to pick up the first book in preparation for the release of Babushka.
García Márquez’s Posthumous Novel Acquired by Knopf
Until August (En Agosto Nos Vemos) was the final novel written by Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez before his death; it is now, with the blessing of García Márquez’s two sons, set to be published next year. Reagan Arthur at Knopf recently acquired North American rights from the Carmen Balcells Literary Agency, with Diana Tejerina Miller to edit the manuscript and Anne McLean set to translate. The novel will be split into five sections centred around Ana Magdalena Bach, following her experience of an erotic affair. There is no doubt this story will also be embellished with García Márquez’s usual poetic and imaginative flair, so keep a look out for the global 2024 release.
From Book to Screen
What to Watch?
Red, White & Royal Blue Coming this August
Casey McQuinston’s New York Times bestseller romance novel was a viral sensation after its release in 2019. It follows Alex Claremont-Diaz (the first son of the United States) and Prince Henry (a prince in the British Royal Family) as they try to avoid a tabloid scandal by entering a fake friendship. However, as the two develop feelings for one another, they’ll have to navigate their new relationship in the complex world of politics and living in the public eye. When Amazon Studios won the rights to its adaptation that April, fans anxiously awaited who would take on the roles of Alex and Henry. Taylor Zakhar Perez (Minx) and Nicholas Galitzine (Purple Hearts) were cast as the two love interests. They’ll be joined by Uma Thurman, Sharon D. Clarke, Thomas Flynn and Stephen Fry. You can watch Red, White & Royal Blue on Amazon Prime Video from 11 August 2023.
In the Works
The Other Black Girl Series Coming to Hulu
Hulu is set to debut the adaptation of The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, inspired by true events based on Harris’ time working at a publishing company. This series will capture a glimpse of the publishing world and showcase the behaviours and attitudes within the industry. The story focuses on Nella Rodgers, an Editorial Assistant and the only Black employee at Wagner Books in New York City. She is excited to learn that another young Black woman, Hazel, will start working with her, but a series of unfortunate events unfold, leaving Nella confused and her own role at stake. So far, the cast has been announced with Shakirah DeMesier, Cassi Maddox and Langston Kerman as the main leads of the series. No release date has been announced as this is in the pre-production stages.