By Georgie Cutler, Eva Lee, Niamh Parr and Emily Retford
Acquisitions News
Bloomsbury Wins Auction for Arena’s Debut Fantasy
After a four-way auction, Bloomsbury has won the rights to Brittney Arena’s debut novel A Dance of Lies. Publishing Director Vicky Leech Mateos at Bloomsbury bought UK and audio rights, as well as translation rights, from Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary. Del Rey and Random House Canada have also US and Canadian rights at auction (The Bookseller). An adult fantasy and the first novel in a duology, A Dance of Lies follows the protagonist Vasalie, a chronically ill and disabled dancer, who has been framed for murder. When Vasalie’s king offers her a chance to gain her freedom, she suddenly finds herself stuck in a feud between royals, working for her king as a spy. However, as the jobs assigned to Vasalie become increasingly perilous, she has to put her skills to derailing her king’s plans instead of aiding them. Caught in the middle of a precarious political game, soon Vasalie’s freedom isn’t the only thing at stake – but her heart too. Arena writes on her website that this book is for “everyone who feels unseen in their pain” and “anyone who loves the thrill of danger among courts, and tension-filled romance balanced on the blade of a sword.” A Dance of Lies is set for publication in June 2025.
HarperFire Lands Soto Three-Book Deal
HarperFire has managed to land Julie Soto’s new thriller as part of a three-book deal. The Thrashers, a new young adult novel, follows Jodi and her journey as Zack’s best friend, the school’s most elite “Thrasher.” When a detective discovers the diary of Emily, a young girl who took her own life after being a Thrasher, a tale of bullying, unexplainable happenings and sequences of bad luck is revealed. Can Jodi escape the Thrashers, or must she follow in Emily’s footsteps? Editorial Director of HarperFire Tom Bonnick said The Thrashers is “tense, atmospheric and addictive,” making it hard to put down. Bonnick acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to the novel as part of a three-book deal from Gaia Banks at Sheil Land Associates. The Thrashers will be published in May 2025, with the following two books published in 2026 and 2027.
From Book to Screen: What to Watch?
It Ends With Us Coming to the Big Screen
Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends With Us is headed to cinemas in August 2024. Blake Lively is leading the cast as Lily Bloom, a woman deciding between the Ryle Kincaid the neurosurgeon she just met, and Atlas Corrigan, her first love who has just reappeared. Alongside Lively, the movie will feature the likes of Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate and Hasan Minhaj. You can watch It Ends With Us in cinemas from the 09 August 2024.
Pachinko Set for Season Two on Apple TV+
The new trailer for season two of Pachinko has been revealed, as it returns for an eight-episode series to be released on Apple TV+. With the success of season one, Pachinko based on Min Jin Lee’s novel follows four generations of a Korean family and their struggles living in Japanese-occupied Korea. Season two will follow Kim Sunja’s life in Japan before the start of World War II as she navigates survival, resilience and sacrifice. As the timelines span over a couple of years, the series will continue to unravel the complexities of the characters' journeys and experiences. We will see the return of Youn Yuh-Jung, Lee Min Ho, Kim Min Ha and Jin Ha, along with new cast to look forward to. In addition, this season will feature a new soundtrack featuring Blackpink’s Rosé and her cover of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, sparking interest among fans. Check out the trailer now on YouTube and catch Pachinko streaming globally on 23 August, 2024.
In the Works
Prime Video working on Every Summer After adaptation
Amazon is aiming to emulate the success of trending book adaptations like The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Idea of You with its latest rights acquisition. Carley Fortune’s romantic novel Every Summer After is getting a series adaption called Every Year After on Amazon Prime Video. Leila Gerstein has been attached to the project as the showrunner and writer. The novel follows Persephone Fraser, as she returns home a decade after promising never to return. Here she finds Sam Florek, the man who she once thought was hers forever until everything dramatically fell apart. Can she forgive herself for her previous mistakes and move forward from the past? Only time will tell. Currently, this project is in the early stages, so no release date has been announced.
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