Smart shortlisted for BASH 2015!
December 2014
We are delighted to see Smart, by Kim Slater on the shortlist for the St. Helen's Library Book Award 2015.
Book Awards St. Helens (BASH) is the fantastic Book Award scheme for Secondary school pupils, the amBASHadors. BASH started in 2011 and celebrates works of fiction being written in the UK for ages 11-18. The winner, voted for by the students, will be announced by Queen of Teen 2014, James Dawson, on 30th April 2015.
For more information on BASH, click here, or follow them on Twitter @STHLibraries.
Congratulations, Kim!
Kim Slater is shortlisted for the Shropshire Teenage Book Award!
December 2014
Just when we thought December couldn’t get any more merry – more brilliant award news!
Smart by Kim Slater has been shortlisted for the first ever Shropshire Teenage Book Award!
Launched in 2014, the Award is sponsored by Shropshire Council’s schools library service and voted for by pupils from schools in Shropshire and Telford.
The longlist was whittled down from 20 books to just 7. The winning book will be announced in March 2015.
If you loved Smart, or if you would like more information about the award, you can click and vote here.
Boy in the Tower longlisted for the Redbridge Children's Book Award 2015!
November 2014
The amazing award news keeps coming this month! We are very pleased to share the news that Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho-Yen has been longlisted for the Redbridge Children’s Book Awards 2015!
This local book award aims to highlight the best new reading for children and teenagers with local schools participating and voting for their top choices. The shortlist will be announced at the end of May 2015 with the eventual winner announced in July 2015.
Congratulations, Polly!
Beth Reekles at TEDxTeen London 2014
November 2014
In October, Beth Reekles, teen author of The Kissing Booth, Rolling Dice and Out of Tune, took part in TEDxTeen London organised independently but inspired by the larger group, TED.
TED is a non-profit organisation which helps spread ideas through the medium of powerful, short talks. Starting in 1984, the talks and conferences originally began as technology, entertainment and design related but has since grown to encompass all kinds of issues.
TEDxTeen is put on by We Are Family Foundation, founded by world-renowned music producer and musician, Nile Rodgers. It has an outreach of millions worldwide and, in 2013, livestreamed to over 141 countries with the talks gaining 8 million views online after the conferences took place.
Beth was one of many young, inspirational speakers who came together to discuss the changing world. Beth’s talk focussed on her wanting to write the story she wanted to read and encouraging others to do the same.
To watch Beth’s talk in full click here. For more information about TEDx click here.
Frankfurt 2014
October 2014
The Rights team have now settled back in after a very busy and successful week at the International Frankfurt Book Fair. Between 7th and 11th October, Clare and Mary held over 120 meetings with publishers from all over the world, closing six deals at the table as well as managing an auction for German rights.
Not only are the fairs a time for selling and pitching new books, but they provide an invaluable opportunity to catch up with our authors’ wonderful overseas editors. Despite the economic crisis still affecting publishing in all markets, the atmosphere was more buoyant and optimistic than has been reported for some time. Publishers are becoming more inventive with how they are publishing and are learning how to survive in tough markets.
Rienk from Meulenhoff with Clare
The Rights team are now following-up on their meetings and look forward to reporting more on the German auction soon!
Helen Grant's The Vanishing of Katharina Linden is One of the 100 Best Children's Books
October 2014
Helen Grant's The Vanishing of Katharina Linden has been named as one of the 100 Best Children's Books of the last 10 years in The Sunday Times. Congratulations Helen!
"a feast of treats and creeps. The excellent writing, and the eschewing of anything remotely winsome or mawkish, make this an eerily subtle literary page-turner. Wonderful." The Guardian
"a richly textured, effortlessly written novel with an impeccable sense of place and characterisation." The Sunday Telegraph
"An impressive debut from a writer to watch." The Daily Mail
"For something so chilling, it is terrific entertainment." The Sunday Times
Conquest is out now in paperback!
August 2014
"Conquest is a beautiful book, the first in a series, and one that should not be missed!" The Guardian
Conquest is the start of an epic new series from bestselling author John Connolly, and Jennifer Ridyard. For fans of The 5th Wave.
Earth is no longer ours. It is ruled by the Illyri, a beautiful, civilised yet ruthless alien species. But humankind has not given up the fight, and Paul Kerr is one of a new generation of young Resistance leaders waging war on the invaders.
Syl Hellais is the first of the Illyri to be born on Earth. Trapped inside the walls of her father's stronghold, hated by the humans, she longs to escape.
But on her sixteenth birthday, Syl's life is about to change forever. She will become an outcast, an enemy of her people, for daring to save the life of one human: Paul Kerr. Only together do they have a chance of saving each other, and the planet they both call home.
For there is a greater darkness behind the Illyri conquest of Earth, and the real invasion has not yet even begun...
Top 25 under 20!
August 2014
In thrilling news, our newest author, Beth Reekles, has been included in The Times today at no.6 in their ‘Top 25 under 20’ article!
Beth sits alongside other influential young adults such as Malala Yousafzai, Maya Van Wagenen and Jack Andraka as icons of their generation.
Congratulations, Beth!
Spanish Success
July 2014
The rights team are excited to announce that we have just closed two foreign rights deals for Cathy Cassidy’s internationally bestselling Chocolate Box Girls series: Cherry Crush and Marshmallow Skye.
Destino Infantil & Juvenil will publish in Spanish and Grup62 will publish in Catalan which means that these two titles are sold in 12 languages each. In total, Cathy’s books are now sold into 22 languages!
Huge congratulations, Cathy!
Turkish Triumph for Cathy and Kim
June 2014
We are delighted to announce that Cathy Cassidy’s foreign rights sales have hit 20 languages!
A deal was struck with Turkish publisher, Pegasus, for translation rights in the first three titles in the internationally bestselling Chocolate Box Girls series: Cherry Crush, Marshmallow Skye and Summer’s Dream.
In further exciting news, Pegasus also acquired Turkish rights in recently published SMART by Kim Slater. Turkish will be Kim’s 2nd language, with Dtv publishing in Germany.
Congratulations Cathy and Kim!
Get Smart Today
June 2014
We are thrilled to announce the publication of SMART by Kim Slater today. Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, Smart is Kim’s debut novel.
SMART follows Kieran Woods as he attempts to investigate the death of a homeless man. He's made a promise and he's going to find out what really happened. To Colin. And to his grandma, who just stopped coming round one day. But being a detective is difficult when you're Kieran Woods. When you're amazing at drawing but terrible at fitting in. And when there are dangerous secrets everywhere, not just outside, but under your own roof.
Congratulations, Kim!
Sweet Honey is out NOW!
June 2014
Children's superseller author Cathy Cassidy has released her 5th in the Chocolate Box Girls series Sweet Honey.
Honey is going to live with her dad in Australia. Determined to make a fresh start, she couldn't be further away from the tough times at Tanglewood. Her new life is a dream come true - until school begins.
The girls are different from Honey's friends in England and the only person who seems to understand her is the cute boy from the beach she's chatting to online. But when he, the girls at school and even her dad start breaking promises, who can she trust? All alone on the other side of the world, Honey's past is about to catch up with her...
Queen of Teen 2014
May 2014
In very exciting news, our very own Cathy Cassidy has been shortlisted for Queen of Teen 2014! Cathy won the award in 2010, and this year faces competition from authors such as John Green, Beth Reekles, Cassandra Clare and James Dawson.
Since 2008, the Queen of Teen award has been dedicated to celebrating the authors from the world of teen fiction. The Queen of Teen award highlights authors who address real-life, coming-of-age issues in their stories in an honest and fun way.
The Queen of Teen ceremony takes place on 11th July 2014. If you want Cathy to be your Queen of Teen, you can vote here.
Loretta Schauer is on the Funeverse!
May 2014
During May 2014, Funeverse is featuring some of Loretta Schauer’s illustrations. Funeverse is a resource for schools and children where poets, illustrators and children can come together to exercise their creative funny bones and write funny verse.
For the whole month, poets will be creating poems inspired by Loretta’s drawings and encouraging children to create their own. There are already a few poems up to accompany Loretta’s pictures, and even a video! For more information, click here.
Dave Rudden joins the Darley Anderson Children's Book Agency
March 2014
We are so thrilled to welcome début author Dave Rudden to the Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency.
The Borrowed Dark is the first in an 11+ fantasy adventure trilogy about Denizen Hardwick. On his 14th birthday, Denizen is summoned from the orphanage he grew up in by a mysterious aunt he never knew existed. It becomes immediately obvious that there is more to this world than Denizen ever imagined and he soon finds himself among the Knights of the Borrowed Darkness, an ancient order that protects the world from the dark realm of the Tenebrae and their powerful master, the Endless King.
Ben Horslen, Editorial Director at Puffin, snapped up World English rights in The Borrowed Dark in a significant six-figure pre-empt. Puffin will be publishing in Spring 2016. German rights were sold to Fischer in a knock-out six-figure pre-empt and French rights were quickly acquired by Pocket Jeunesse.
Dave is twenty-six years old and lives in Dublin where he is working on books two and three of the trilogy.
Welcome to the agency, Dave, we are so excited to have you on board!
Beth Reekles and Quick Reads 2015!
December 2014
We’re thrilled to announce that Beth Reekles, author behind bestselling The Kissing Booth, is taking part in Quick Reads 2015!
Led by former Welsh rugby captain, Gareth Thomas, Beth is one of eight authors selected to participate for 2015 and has written a romance novel called Cwtch Me If You Can.
The Quick Reads campaign aims to break down barriers and get more adults in Wales reading by producing short, snappy books available from libraries, bookshops and online for just £1.
The titles will be released in February 2015.
Polly Ho Yen is shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award!
December 2014
The good news just keeps coming! We’re in the final month of 2014 but we are so thrilled that Polly Ho Yen’s wonderful debut, Boy in the Tower, has been shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award!
The shortlist was announced live on Blue Peter on Thursday 4 December by Michael Morpurgo, one of the UK’s most well-known children’s authors and President of Booktrust. Previous winners include Ali Sparkes, Katherine Rundell and Matt Haig.
The Blue Peter Book Awards, which are in their 15th year, celebrate the very best in children’s books. The awards ask children to choose the winners and approximately 200 from 10 schools across the UK will read the shortlisted books and vote for their favourite.
The two winning books will be announced on Blue Peter on World Book Day on 5 March 2015.
Congratulations, Polly, and here’s to 2015!
Smart shortlisted for the Leeds Book Award 2015!
November 2014
We are so excited to announce that Smart by Kim Slater has been shortlisted for the Leeds Book Award 2015 in the 11-14 category!
Over 70 schools will be participating with young people voting for their favourite book individually at local libraries or through the book group at their schools. The deadline for votes is 24th April 2015 and the winner will be announced at Leeds Civic Hall on 19th May 2015.
2015 looks to be a very exciting year for Smart with this shortlisting and a nomination for the Carnegie Medal! Huge congratulations, Kim!
For more information about the Leeds Book Award, click here.
Literature Works New Writer’s Conference November 2014!
November 2014
This weekend, Clare attended the Literature Works New Writer’s Conference alongside her author, Kim Slater, of the YA novel Smart.
An event put on with Plymouth University, with over 40 fantastic delegates in attendance, is aimed at new and aspiring writers with industry experts, like Clare and Kim, sharing their advice on how to get published.
Over the course of the fun afternoon, Clare and Kim hosted the ‘Finding an Agent and Getting a Book Deal’ talk with Kim sharing her inspirational story on how she got an agent and, subsequently, a fantastic deal with Macmillan Children’s Books. They both stressed the importance of tenacity and determination, as it’s a long and tough, but rewarding, road to getting published. Clare also talked about getting an agent’s attention and how to put together a brilliant standout submission. To round off their section, they did a Q&A and a ‘submission live’ quick-fire round. Several brave attendees read out their covering letters or the first page of their manuscript and were provided with quick, immediate feedback from both Clare and Kim.
Clare and Kim had a lovely afternoon and hope that it was helpful for the delegates!
For more information about Kim Slater, please click here. For more information about the New Writer's Conference, please click here.
Two children's débuts nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2015!
October 2014
We are thrilled to say that two of our children’s debuts have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal in 2015!
Smart by Kim Slater, published by Macmillan Children’s Books, is an unusual YA detective story centering around Kieran investigating the death of a homeless man. Boy in the Tower, published by Random House Children’s Books, is a middle-grade story about Ade who becomes stuck in the tower he lives in after an unknown, mysterious plant hits London and starts making buildings disappear.
The longlist will be announced in February 2015 with the shorlist announced in March. The winners will be announced on 22 June 2015.
Both are agented by Clare Wallace and we are so excited for these brilliant books! The full list can be read here.
Congratulations, Kim and Polly!
Demons of Ghent launched in Belgium where the book is set!
September 2014
This weekend Helen Grant was in Brussels presenting her latest thriller Demons of Ghent, which is set in Belgium.
Helen appeared at a busy and lively event at Waterstone's Brussels on Saturday, to talk about the book and how she drew inspiration from the beautiful, historical and sometimes creepy city of Ghent. She also read from the book and answered some searching questions.
Demons of Ghent
The following day Helen was at Treasure Trove, the English bookshop in Tervuren. Veerle, the heroine of the Forbidden Spaces trilogy, of which Demons of Ghent is the second book, is from a small village near Tervuren and the town appears a number of times in the trilogy. Local residents were fascinated to identify places they know from the books!
Helen Grant at Gravensteen Castle
Helen was interviewed by Brussels-based English-language radio station Radio X - and she also managed a trip to Ghent to visit some of her favourite locations from the book, including the magnificent Saint Bavo's cathedral and Gravensteen castle.
For more information, please visit Helen's author page
Conquest by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard is Out in Paperback NOW!
August 2014
Syl Hellais is the first of the Earth-born Illyri, a beautiful, civilized but ruthless alien species who now rule our planet. Trapped inside the walls of her father's stronghold, hated by the humans, she longs to escape.
Humankind has not given up the fight, and Paul Kerr is one of a new generation of young Resistance leaders waging war on the invaders.
On her sixteenth birthday, Syl will become an outcast, an enemy of her people, for daring to save Paul Kerr's life.
Conquest is the first in an exciting new series for teen readers by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard. Explore the site for more information about Syl, Paul, their world and their creators.
Beth Reekles joins the Darley Anderson Children's Book Agency!
August 2014
We are very excited to announce that teen writing sensation, Beth Reekles, has joined the Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency!
Welsh author, Beth, started writing her first novel at 15, The Kissing Booth, online on WattPad and was quickly snapped up in a three-book deal at Random House. Her subsequent novels: Rolling Dice and Out of Tune were published in 2013 and 2014.
Beth is currently an undergraduate of Physics at Exeter University. She has been shortlisted for the Women of the Future Young Star award 2013, the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards 2014, and the Queen of Teen 2014 awards. She was awarded the Scout Birthday Honours Writing Badge in 2013, and was named one of Time magazine’s 16 Most Influential Teenagers 2013.
On joining the agency, Beth said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining such a great agency as Darley Anderson. The agency has such a glowing reputation and I look forward very much to working with them."
Beth’s third novel, Out of Tune, is available now.
Infestation day: Boy in the Tower release
July 2014
We are thrilled to announce the publication of Polly Ho-Yen’s children’s novel, Boy in the Tower, today. Boy in the Tower is published by Random House Children’s Books and is Polly’s début.
Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. From his window, he feels like he can see the whole world stretching out beneath him.
His mum doesn't really like looking outside - but it's going outside that she hates. She's happier sleeping all day, inside their tower where it's safe.
But one day, other tower blocks on the estate start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear.
Now their tower isn't safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there's no way out.
To find out more about Polly's inspiration for writing Boy in the Tower, please click here.
Congratulations, Polly!
Smart Longlisted for the St. Helens Book Awards
June 2014
Kim Slater’s début novel, SMART, has been longlisted for the St. Helens Libraries Book Awards!
SMART has been nominated alongside eleven other books in this fantastic regional Book Award scheme for secondary school pupils. BASH (Book Awards St Helens) started in 2011, and celebrates works of fiction published in the UK for ages 11-18. The scheme works in partnership with local high schools and has recently introduced a scheme for primary school children.
We are even more proud of Kim considering that her book was only released a few weeks ago. Congratulations, Kim!
Demons of Ghent is out NOW!
June 2014
Congratulations to Helen Grant on the publication of Demons of Ghent.
Veerle has moved to Ghent to start a new life with her father and his girlfriend, she's isolated and alone. But not as alone as she had thought . . .
Veerle recognises a familiar face in the crowds one day, a face connected to a past that she has been fighting to get over, a past that involved murder.
A spate of deaths hit the city but has Death followed Veerle to Ghent or is this something new?
Demons of Ghent is the second book in the Forbidden Spaces Trilogy and just as terrifying and thrilling as Silent Saturday.
In celebration of the publication Helen is taking part in a blog tour this week, for more information visit here http://helengrantbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/demons-coming-soon-to-rooftop-near-you.html
Win for The Odds
June 2014
We are thrilled to announce that The Odds by Adam Perrott has won the Lancashire Fantastic Book Award for 2014!
Adam was amongst four other winners chosen by children aged 9-11 and sponsored by Lancashire County Council. Adam said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be a winner of The Lancashire Fantastic Book Awards 2014, because it's voted for exclusively by children. The Odds has a really special place in my heart as it was the book that got me my agent and I'm thrilled that some children somewhere liked it enough to vote it a winner in the FBAs."
The Odds tells the story of a family of Meddlers (or Professional Pranksters) who delight in making mischief. Their job is to make life as miserable as possible for the people around them by playing pranks and tricks on them!
Congratulations, Adam!
Tiny Tantrum Triumph
May 2014
We are delighted to announce that Caroline Crowe has secured a two-book deal with Little Tiger Press for her next books.
Tiny Tantrum is the first of the two and it will be released in 2015. Tiny Tantrum is about a little girl who has monstrous tantrums, until she meets a monster or two of her own!
Congratulations, Caroline!
Silent Saturday by Helen Grant is out NOW!
March 2014
Our award winning and highly acclaimed Young Adult's author, Helen Grant, has released her book Silent Saturday today in paperback. It is the first in the chilling Forbidden Spaces trilogy.
Seventeen-year-old Veerle is frustrated with life in suburban Brussels. But a chance encounter with a hidden society, whose members illegally break into unoccupied buildings around the city, soon opens up a whole new world of excitement—and danger.
When one of the society's founding members disappears, Veerle suspects foul play. But nothing can prepare her for the horror that is about to unfold when an old foe emerges from the shadows... No one is safe, and The Hunter will strike again...
‘A writer to watch’ The Daily Mail
‘Fierce intelligence’ The Guardian
A Perfect Little Pig!
February 2014
We were thrilled to receive advance copies of The Good Little Bad Little Pig by Margaret Wise Brown with our very own Loretta Schauer’s brilliant illustrations!
The picture book will be published in the USA by Parragon on 18th April and in the UK on 18th May.
Little Red Riding Hood by Mara Alperin, featuring Loretta's fantastic illustrations, was published by Little Tiger Press on 3rd February.
Congratulations on two wonderful books, Loretta!