By Georgie Cutler, Eva Lee and Niamh Parr
Acquisition News
S&S Acquires Naomi Ishiguro’s Fantasy Trilogy
Simon & Schuster UK has gained the rights to a new series by Naomi Ishiguro, including The Rainshadow Orphans and two further, so far untitled, novels. The series is a blend of fantasy and science fiction inspired by Japanese folklore and Studio Ghibli.
Commissioning Editor Charlotte Trumble at S&S UK acquired rights from Peter Straus at Rogers, Coleridge & White. Rights have also been acquired by Joe Monti at Saga Press US and Anthea Bariamis at S&S Australia. The series follows inhabitants of Rainshadow City, a place that – despite its magical name – is overrun with corruption as the result of a teeming criminal underbelly run by an organisation known as the Lucky Crows. Deep in the chaos of the city, Toshiko, Jun and Mei seek revenge for the murder of their aunt Reiko. Theo, an illegal immigrant, finds himself with no choice but to work for the Lucky Crows in order to stay alive. Haru, the Emperor’s son, one day destined to rule over the archipelago in which Rainshadow City resides, appears preoccupied with befriending invisible Sun Spirits. A riveting series of events begins to unfold – throwing all types of characters together – after Toshiko steals a dragon pearl from the leader of the Lucky Crows. The Rainshadow Orphans is expected to be published in spring 2026.
Holly Jackson’s Adult Debut Goes to Ballantine
The debut adult fiction novel from Holly Jackson, author of the bestselling YA novel A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, has been secured for US publication by Ballantine, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Publisher Jennifer Hershey at Ballantine acquired North American rights from Sam Copeland of Rogers, Coleridge & White. Publishing rights have also been obtained by Doubleday Canada and Penguin Michael Joseph in the UK. Not Quite Dead Yet is a thriller novel following a woman who is determined to solve her own murder. Jet Mason, the twenty-eight year old daughter of a wealthy Vermont family, is attacked by an anonymous intruder on Halloween night. Suffering a serious brain injury as a result, the doctors inform Jet that she only has seven days left before she’s likely to suffer a deadly aneurysm. She decides to spend those seven days working tirelessly to uncover the identity of her assailant. For her mission, she enlists the help of her childhood friend Billy, but no one else. Everybody else close to her is already a suspect. Not Quite Dead Yet is slated for publication in July 2025.
From Book to Screen
What to Watch?
SweetPea on Sky Atlantic
Dark comedy TV series Sweetpea adapted from C.J. Skuse's bestselling novel is finally hitting the screens. The series follows editorial assistant Rhiannon, an ordinary woman with a double life as a cold-blooded killer. Rhiannon appears to be just another normal woman with a boyfriend and dog by day, but at night she harbours a vengeful side through a chilling kill list. Rising actress, Ella Purnell known for her role in Yellow Jackets will be the leading lady alongside Jon Pointing, Nicôle Lecky, Lorraine Burroughs and many other impressive supporting casts. Viewers can expect dark humour, suspense and shocking moments as the line between good and evil is blurred in this thrilling drama. Catch all six episodes out now on Sky Atlantic in the UK and on Starz for US and Canadian audiences.
Our Top Film Picks For Disability Awareness Month
Special (2019–2021)
Netflix’s Special takes a comedic yet introspective look at comedian and writer Ryan O’Connell’s life as he takes on working, living and dating in Los Angeles. The series is based on O’Connell’s memoir, I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, which delves into his experience growing up as a gay man with cerebral palsy. Two series of the show are available to stream on Netflix.
All The Light We Cannot See (2023)
This series adaptation is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Anthony Doerr. Set in World War II during France’s occupation, it follows the intertwined paths of two teenagers: a blind French girl and a German soldier. It stars Aria Mia Loberti, Louis Hofmann, Hugh Laurie and Mark Ruffalo. The series consists of four episodes that can be streamed on Netflix now.
All Together Now (2020)
This heart-wrenching film revolves around a group of teen friends who try to support their friend Amber Appleton as she and her mother deal with homelessness after her mother breaks up with her boyfriend. It is based on the novel Sorta Like A Rock Star by Matthew Quick. The film is lead by Auli’i Cravalho, and features two actors with disabilities, Gerald Isaac Waters and Anthony Jacques. It follows a push from Netflix to improve inclusion on and off-screen. Jacques hopes to inspire creatives with disabilities to enter the film industry, saying “people on the spectrum or with physical disabilities are capable of doing anything when given the opportunity” (The Mighty). All Together Now is available to watch on Netflix.
Out of My Mind (2024)
Out of My Mind follows the life of an eleven year-old living with cerebral palsy. It is based on the novel of the same name by Sharon M. Draper. Even though she is smart and quick-witted, Melody Brooks notices that being non-verbal and using a wheelchair limits her opportunities in school compared to her schoolmates. However, when a teacher sees her potential to learn in a traditional school classroom, Melody demonstrates that the value of her thoughts far outweighs the manner in which she expresses them. This film adaptation is arriving on Disney+ on the 22 November 2024.