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Spring 2020
Spring Hot List 2020
FICTION
Dosh Archer DETECTIVE PAW OF THE LAW
Eoin Colfer HIGHFIRE
Eoin Colfer THE FOWL TWINS: DENY ALL CHARGES
Eoin Colfer ARTEMIS FOWL GRAPHIC NOVELS
Colfer, Donkin & Rigano GLOBAL
Emerald Fennell MONSTERS
Benedict Jacka ALEX VERUS SERIES
Padraig Kenny THE MONSTERS OF ROOKHAVEN
Lucy Martin STOP AT NOTHING
Andrew Meehan THE MYSTERY OF LOVE
Sarah Mussi THE SNOWDONIA CHRONICLES
Shamim Sarif THE SHADOW MISSION
NON-FICTION
Fiona Beckett HOW TO DRINK WITHOUT DRINKING
Tamsin Calidas I AM AN ISLAND
Carl Cox OH YES, OH YES
Shahroo Izadi THE LAST DIET
Claire Nelson THINGS I LEARNED FROM FALLING
Tom Whipple BATTLE OF THE BEAMS
Titles of Note
Eoin Colfer PLUGGED & SCREWED
Lucy Coats BEASTS OF OLYMPUS SERIES
Tristan Gooley WILD SIGNS AND STAR PATHS
Tristan Gooley THE WALKER’S GUIDE
Tristan Gooley HOW TO READ WATER
FICTION
Rights held by Publisher
Dosh Archer
DETECTIVE PAW OF
THE LAW
There’s a new cop on the scene with a
nose for justice, and his name is
Detective Paw of the Law!
He’s an old dog, which is why he leaves
all the new tricks up to his partner, Patrol
Officer Prickles, a young officer with all
the latest police gadgets!
The perfect 4 book series for early
readers.
Archer’s mix of colorful full-page and
spot illustrations aids in decoding more
complex sentences. Her expressive,
cartoony character design delightfully
accentuates comedic moments… A
serviceable introduction to sleuthing for
more fluent readers who are almost
ready for early chapter books.
- Kirkus Reviews
DOSH ARCHER is a children’s book writer and illustrator originally from
Scotland. She studied at the Northern College, Aberdeen, and now lives in
Whitstable, Kent, where she creates books from her studio in the garden.
She is well known for her Urgency Emergency! series, which are sold
internationally. Dosh's latest series is the popular Detective Paw of the Law.
US: Albert Whitman & Company (World Rights)
Material available: Finished copies
Publication: April 2020
FICTION
Eoin Colfer
HIGHFIRE
* Television rights optioned to
MGM Television (producers of
The Handmaid’s Tale & Fargo) *
A genre-bending tour-de-force of comedy and action
by the million-copy-selling master storyteller
Eoin Colfer's first adult fantasy novel is a hilarious, high-octane adventure about a
vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who's been hiding out from the world -
and potential torch-carrying mobs - in a Louisiana bayou . . . until his peaceful
world's turned upside down by a well-intentioned but wild Cajun tearaway and the
crooked (and heavily armed) law officer who wants him dead.
Squib Moreau may be swamp-wild, but his intentions are (generally) good: he
really wants to be a supportive son to his hard-working momma Elodie. But
sometimes life gets in the way - like when Fake Daddy walked out on them leaving
a ton of debt, or when crooked Constable Regence Hooke got to thinking pretty
Elodie Moreau was just the gal for him . . .
An apprenticeship with the local moonshine runner, servicing the bayou, looks like
the only way to pay off the family debts and maybe get Squib and his momma a
place in town, far from Constable Hooke's unwanted courtship and Fake Daddy's
reputation.
Unfortunately for Squib, Hooke has his own eye on that very same stretch of
bayou - and neither of them have taken into account the fire-breathing dragon
hiding out in the Louisiana swamp . . .
For Squib Moreau, Regence Hooke and Vern, aka Lord Highfire of Highfire Eyrie,
life is never going to be the same again.
UK: Quercus (Jo Fletcher Books) US: HarperCollins
Material available: Finished copies
Publication: January 2020
Rights sold: Denmark (Gyldendal), France (Flammarion), Germany (Heyne), Italy (Mondadori)
Praise for HIGHFIRE A funny, offbeat adult fantasy novel. Independent A dazzling first adult novel from bestselling children's author Colfer. Daily Mail Told in crunchy prose, with lashings of earthy dialogue, it reads like an Elmore Leonard Thriller, but with dragons . . . Colfer clearly had a blast writing this, and his sheer storytelling panache brushes aside the quibbles of fantasy-genre agnostics with infectious glee. Mail on Sunday It's a heady caper with elements of southern gothic, urban fantasy and airport thriller. The exotic swelter of the American South is playfully conjured, while Vern's unlikely friendship with a poor Cajun teenager called "Squib" Moreau gives a rich, emotive underpinning to the vivid action sequences... Colfer has served up a stomping, flamespurting romp sure to delight fantasy fans whose passion for dragons somehow survived Game of Thrones and its dreadful denouement The Daily Telegraph A briskly entertaining outing . . . With this satisfying and at times hugely joyous novel, Colfer is, like his engaging scaly protagonist, cooking on gas. Guardian The anticipated adult novel from Colfer, best known for the Artemis Fowl series, features more of that wild imagination that loyal readers have come to love (in this case, a dragon who loves vodka, Flashdance, and his Laz-Z-Boy recliner crossing paths with a troublemaking swamp rat). Entertainment Weekly Author of the popular Artemis Fowl books for kids, Colfer has turned his attention to adult fiction to good effect, writing a delightfully funny page- turner with plenty of crossover appeal to teens and sprinkled with genial turns of phrase: alligators jaws are ‘wide like Satan’s hedge clippers’. Colfer has conjured up voices redolent of the Deep South and delightfully profane. And the characters are simply terrific. But what about those alligators? Booklist *starred review* A fun, unusual contemporary fantasy. Kirkus Reviews A twisty, tongue-in-cheek fantasy that’s part thriller, part action movie, and wholly irreverent. . . . Colfer’s catchy narrative voice suits the characters and their setting perfectly, capturing Vern’s world-weary nature, Squib’s youthful adaptability, and Hooke’s malicious cunning. This no-holds-barred yarn is good fun from start to finish. Publishers Weekly
FICTION
Eoin Colfer
THE FOWL TWINS:
DENY ALL CHARGES
‘Like its bestselling progenitors, a
nonstop spinoff afroth with high tech,
spectacular magic, and silly business’
Kirkus *starred*
‘This series opener is accessible and
entertaining: the fast-paced plot, filled
with unexpected betrayals, death-
defying feats, and secret train cars, will
appeal to Fowl readers established and
new’
Publishers Weekly *starred*
The second Fowl Twins adventure, a spinoff of the blockbuster Artemis Fowl series,
starts with a bang--literally. Artemis's little brothers Myles and Beckett borrow the
Fowl jet without permission, and it ends up as a fireball over Florida. The twins plus
their fairy minder, the pixie-elf hybrid Lazuli Heitz, are lucky to escape with their
lives. The Fowl parents and fairy police force decide that enough is enough and the
twins are placed under house arrest. But Myles has questions like: Who was
tracking the Fowl jet? Why would someone want to blow them out of the sky? What
is the bigger picture?
These questions must infuriate someone, because Myles is abducted and spirited
away from his twin. Beckett and Lazuli must collaborate to find Myles and rescue
him. Their chase will take them across continents, deep underground, and into
subacquatic super villain lairs. They will be shot at, covered in spit, and be at the
receiving end of some quite nasty dwarf sarcasm. Will Beckett be able to come up
with a genius plan without a genius on hand?
EOIN COLFER is the internationally bestselling author of the ARTEMIS FOWL series,
THE SUPERNATURALIST, AIRMAN, HALF MOON INVESTIGATIONS, the W.A.R.P.
SERIES, IMAGINARY FRED (with Oliver Jeffers), the graphic novel ILLEGAL as well
as the adult titles PLUGGED and SCREWED and HIGHFIRE. His books have sold
more than 22 million copies and translated into 44 languages. Eoin lives in Ireland
with his wife and two sons.
UK: HarperCollins US: Disney/Hyperion
Publication: November 2020
Material available: Finished copies
Rights sold: Finland (WSOY), France (Gallimard), Germany (Ullstein), Italy (Mondadori),
Russia (Azbooka-Atticus)
FICTION
Rights held by Publisher
Eoin Colfer, Andrew
Donkin & Giovanni
Rigano
GLOBAL
The new graphic novel from
the team behind ILLEGAL,
nominated for over 30
awards
Building on the success of their critically acclaimed graphic novel ILLEGAL,
Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin and Giovanni Rigano return with GLOBAL, an
arresting new graphic novel for all ages, tackling the climate crisis especially its
impact on young people.
GLOBAL tells the story of two young people, Sami and Yuki, living on different
continents, whose lives are catastrophically impacted by the effects of global
warming. Colfer, Donkin and Rigano have created another striking graphic
novel, this time one that brings home the very real impact of climate change
and aims to engage and inform a whole new generation of readers in this
struggle.
As with ILLEGAL, GLOBAL will include additional material in the form of
interviews with those on the front-line of the climate struggle and details on
how readers can get involved and help stop this manmade disaster.
EOIN COLFER is the writer of the bestselling, award-winning Artemis Fowl
series, and has sold over 22 million books worldwide. ANDREW DONKIN has
written over sixty books and graphic novels, including Batman for DC Comics
and has sold ten million books worldwide. GIOVANNI RIGANO is one of
Europe’s leading graphic novel artists and is a regular at comic festivals.
UK: Hachette Children’s Books (World Rights)
Publication: Fall 2021
Material available: Fall 2020
FICTION
Eoin Colfer
ARTEMIS FOWL
*New* Graphic Novel
The brand new
ARTEMIS FOWL
Graphic Novel
For ages 9+ this is the brand new ARTEMIS FOWL Graphic Novel
adapted by Michael Moreci (Superman, The Flash, Suicide Squad,
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a brilliant criminal mastermind. But even
Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain
Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories.
These fairies are armed and they're dangerous. Artemis thinks he's got them
just where he wants them, but then they stop playing by the rules . . .
UK: Penguin US: Disney/Hyperion
Publication: Book 1 June 2019, Book 2 (The Arctic Incident) March 2021
Material available: Finished copies
Rights sold: France (Gallimard)
FICTION
Emerald Fennell
MONSTERS
From the critically acclaimed
writer of
KILLING EVE
and
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
A blackly comic tale about two children you would never want to meet.
Set in the Cornish town of Fowey, all is not as idyllic as the beautiful seaside
town might seem. The body of a young woman is discovered in the nets of a
fishing boat. It is established that the woman was murdered. Most are shocked
and horrified. But there is somebody who is not - a twelve-year-old girl. She is
delighted; she loves murders. Soon she is questioning the inhabitants of the
town in her own personal investigation. But it is a bit boring on her own. Then
Miles Giffard, a similarly odd twelve-year-old boy, arrives in Fowey with his
mother, and they start investigating together. Oh, and also playing games that
re-enact the murders. Just for fun, you understand...
A book about two twelve-year-olds that is definitely not for kids.
EMERALD FENNELL is an English author and actress. She obtained a BA in
English from the University of Oxford. Emerald's first young adult fiction novel,
Shiverton Hall was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.
Emerald has featured several films and television series including Any Human
Heart, Anna Karenina, The Danish Girl, Call the Midwife and The Crown. She
was the writer of Killing Eve season two, earning two Primetime Emmy Award
nominations and her directorial debut Promising Young Woman, which she
also wrote, will shortly have its theatrical release.
UK: Bonnier
Editor: Emma Matthewson
Publication: New edition tba
Material available: Finished copiesPraise for MONSTERS
Emerald Fennell combines sharp psychological insight with mordant
humour to fashion a dark, contemporary fairy tale.
- Daily Mail
...a mash-up of Carrie and Bluebeard with a touch of The Girl
With the Dragon Tattoo, is smart, modern and fresh. This
savagely and ultimately bleak tale is not for the faint of heart.
- Financial Times
MONSTERS by Emerald Fennell is absolutely great. It's gripping
and astonishingly, gleefully dark.
- The Spectator
MONSTERS is a tremendous, destabilising work of fiction,
infusing the mundane with eerie and unsettling darkness. It is
written, moreover, in a remarkable tone of voice: Roald Dahl meets
Muriel Spark. Astonishing.
- William Boyd, New Statesman
..the two kids embark on a blissful summer of voyeurism, spying, and
youthful sleuthing of the most appalling kind. They may not be the
Secret Seven, but they are disturbingly compelling.
- Imogen Russell Williams, The Guardian
MONSTERS will delight 12-plus fans of Edward Gorey, Lemony
Snicket and Bret Easton Ellis; it is a hideously funny account by a
cynical 13 year old girl of a series of murders in the Cornish town of
Fowey. Sophisticated and suspenseful, it has a view of parents
that adults would be wise to avoid reading.
- Amanda Craig, New Statesman
A modern classic... Not for the faint-hearted, but lovers of pitch-
black humour, unreliable narrators and unspeakable children
will have a ball with Fennell's tale of an idyllic Cornish town, an
inconvenient body, and two 12-year-olds unwholesomely obsessed
with murder.
- The GuardianFICTION
Benedict Jacka
FORGED
Book 11 in the bestselling
ALEX VERUS SERIES
‘Puts other urban fantasies to
shame…a stellar blend of
thoughtful philosophy and
explosve action.’
-Publisher’s Weekly *starred*
review
Alex Verus faces his dark side in this return to the bestselling urban
fantasy series about a London-based mage
To protect his friends, Mage Alex Verus has had to change--and embrace his
dark side. But the life mage Anne has changed too, and made a bond with a
dangerous power. She’s going after everyone she's got a grudge against—and
it's a long list.
In the meantime, Alex has to deal with his arch-enemy, Levistus. The Council’s
death squads are hunting Alex as well as Anne, and the only way for Alex to stop
them is to end his long war with Levistus and the Council, by whatever means
necessary. It will take everything Alex has to stay a step ahead of the Council
and stop Anne from letting the world burn.
BENEDICT JACKA became a writer almost by accident, when at 19 he sat in his
school library and began writing in the back of an exercise book. Since then he
has worked for the civil service, studied philosophy at Cambridge and been a
bouncer, but has always found the time to keep writing.
UK: Little, Brown US: Penguin (Berkeley)
Editor: Jenni Hill Publication: November 2020
Publication: November 2020 Editor: Anne Sowards
Material available: Finished copies
Rights sold in series: Czech Republic (Fantom Print), France (Editions Anne Carriere), Germany
(Blanvalet), Russia (Eskmo)SHA$Fall$2019 Fiction
‘I just added Benedict Jacka to my must-read list. FATED is an
excellent novel, a gorgeously realized world with a uniquely
powerful, vulnerable protagonist. Books this good remind me
why I got into the storytelling business in the first place.’
-Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
‘Benedict Jacka writes a deft, thrill ride of an urban fantasy.’
-Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
* Film/TV rights sold
to Michael Goldstein & Jason Bloom *FICTION
Rights held by Publisher
Pádraig Kenny
THE MONSTERS OF
ROOKHAVEN
‘Kenny is a thrilling writer who
knows how to chill the reader. Like
all the best fairy tales about
impossible creatures, Kenny’s real
subject is about what it means to be
human.’
- Daily Telegraph
The brand new novel from bestselling Irish author
Pádraig Kenny
Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting
her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and
sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can
be found in the outside world.
But as something far more sinister comes to threaten them all, it quickly
becomes clear that the true monsters aren't necessarily the ones you can see.
The Monsters of Rookhaven is a thought-provoking, beautifully written novel
about difference and empathy from the critically-acclaimed Padraig Kenny.
PÁDRAIG KENNY is an Irish writer who hails from Newbridge in County
Kildare. He has a master's degree in Anglo-Irish writing and started his
career writing radio drama. As an arts journalist he has contributed work to
the Sunday Tribune, the Sunday Independent and the Irish Examiner. His
previous books include TIN and POG.
World: Macmillan Children’s
Editor: Venetia Gosling & Lucy Pearse
Publication: September 2020
Material available: Spring 2020FICTION
Lucy Martin
STOP AT NOTHING
The first book in a
thrilling new crime series
featuring
Detective Ronnie Delmar
2 book deal
A detective sergeant is called to investigate a sexual assault in a leafy
suburban school and it is only when she begins to recognise the false
assumptions she makes in her own world that she is able to unravel the truth
outside it. As DS Ronnie (Veronica) Delmar digs deeper into the complex
case and gets to know the teenage victim and her family, she discovers
some uncanny parallels in her own life and as their worlds begin to split at
the seams, the truth is revealed in the form of a chilling confession.
This is a novel about the secrets people keep; the lies they tell and the
lengths they may go to get what they want. STOP AT NOTHING exposes
our flaws as human beings and shows how how prejudices are carried,
assumptions are made and conclusions are reached…
LUCY MARTIN graduated with a 1st class Honours Degree from Wadham
College, Oxford in French and Russian. She became a successful City Lawyer
and for ten years worked in the field of privatizations and joint ventures in Russia
and the former Soviet Union. Lucy then went on to set up a language school
because of her passion for languages and learning. She speaks 5 languages
fluently and specialises in French and Spanish and Russian. She lives in South-
West London with her family.
UK: Welbeck Publishing Group
Editor: Malcolm Edwards
Material available: Summer 2020
Publication: Spring 2021FICTION
Andrew Meehan
THE MYSTERY OF
LOVE
The eagerly anticipated new novel
from one of the most interesting new
voices in Irish Fiction - Desmond
Elliott Prize nominee Andrew Meehan
‘Exquisitely written’
- Irish Independent
‘Meehan’s writing is fast, furious
and very funny.’
– Liz Nugent, author of Unravelling
Oliver
Constance Wilde's marriage has ended. She is making a new life in Europe.
Here, with their children beside her, she reflects on her marriage to Oscar,
the gulf between his private and public selves, and whether she always knew
that their relationship was founded on a different kind of love.
Despite her family's warnings, her disappointment in her husband’s
recklessness, in his affairs and his spending, Constance remains loving and
merciful. Their story is told from her perspective, with Oscar's contribution
presented as footnotes.
In this witty and unsentimental reimagining, Meehan gives new life to a
marriage known for its uncertainty and torment. But it’s a relationship filled
with many kinds of love. And what sings out in the end are the cadences of
kindness.
ANDREW MEEHAN is a well-known script writer and formerly Head of
Development at the Irish Film Board. His fiction has appeared in Stinging Fly, Town
and Country: The Faber Book of New Irish Stories and Winter Pages. He is based
in Dublin and Glasgow where he is Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of
Strathclyde.
UK: Head of Zeus
Editor: Neil Belton
Publication date: February 2020
Material available: Finished copiesFICTION
Sarah Mussi
HERE BE WIZARDS
The final thrilling book in
THE SNOWDONIA
CHRONICLES
YA trilogy
Ellie’s dreams of being with Henry, her one true love, are not going to
happen. Not while Henry is trapped under a mountain battling with
his arch-enemy, the Evil White Dragon.
But when flames from the Fae Lands of Annwyn incinerate Snowdon,
Ellie needs Henry to stop the fire spreading and that means defeating
the White Dragon once and for all.
With best friends, dependable George and embarrassing and brave
Rhi, Ellie sets out to locate a magical sword, find a wizard that can
slay a dragon and finally free Henry.
As wild fire sweeps through the mountains, Ellie and her friends have
little time to journey into the lethal realm of the Fae Lands and save
their beloved Snowdonia.
SARAH MUSSI was born and raised in the UK and received a BA from
Winchester School of Art and her MA from the Royal College of Art. Sarah
spent over fifteen years in West Africa as a teacher and now teaches English
in Lewisham in southeast London.
UK: Vertebrate Publishing
Editor: Jon Barton
Publication date: February 2020
Material available: Finished copiesFICTION
Shamim Sarif
THE SHADOW MISSION
The explosive new thriller in
The Athena Protocol series
* Film option by Village
Roadshow Entertainment *
‘Riveting, with thrillingly
representative female
empowerment’
Kirkus Reviews
Jessie Archer is a headstrong
teenager - and the most talented
agent working for Athena, a secret
rogue agency dedicated to helping
women that governments don’t
care about.
She and her team are tasked with finding out who is terrorising girls’ schools
in India dedicated to helping teenagers find a route out of arranged
marriages - but they come up against a powerful, ruthless consortium
determined to resist progress at any cost.
As Jessie embarks on a life-threatening mission against a ticking clock, she
remains unaware that, behind the scenes, an old nemesis is pulling the
strings and manoeuvring Jessie into an impossible moral dilemma -
sacrifice someone she loves or lose hundreds of lives.
SHAMIM SARIF is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and director. Her
debut novel, The World Unseen won the Betty Trask Award and the
Pendleton May First Novel award. Shamim has adapted and directed the films
of all three of her novels including, most recently, Despite the Falling Snow
(Headline & St. Martin’s Press) and stars Rebecca Ferguson and Charles
Dance. Shamim lives in London with her wife and two sons.
US: HarperCollins
Editor: Tara Weikum
Publication: November 2020
Material available: Finished manuscript
Rights sold in series: France (Le Cherche Midi), Germany (Penguin Verlag), Italy (Longanesi), Spain
(Planeta)SHA$Fall$2019 NON-FICTION
SHA$London$2016 Rights Held by Publisher
Fiona Beckett
HOW TO DRINK WITHOUT
DRINKING
'Simple, creative ideas on what to
drink when you are not drinking,
from the queen of drinks.'
- Anna Jones
Whether you're on the wagon for good or just looking to take a couple of
alcohol-free days a week, avoiding alcohol doesn't have to mean missing
out on flavour or fun.
This beautiful and inspiring book includes tips and recipes for ferments,
cordials and shrubs, as well as delicious alcohol-free cocktails and juices.
Created by Fiona Beckett, one of the country's leading wine writers, you
can be assured that every recipe in this book has earned its place as a
tasty and exciting alternative to alcohol. Whether you wish to mix a pitcher
of Strawberry Punch for a summer party, sample a Kaffir Lime Mojito on a
Friday night or fill your drinks cabinet with Wild Cherry and Star Anise
Shrub, this book is packed with creative ideas and gorgeous flavours.
FIONA BECKETT is an award-winning food and drink journalist, author
and web publisher with over 25 years experience of writing for the UK’s
top newspapers and magazines. She is currently wine columnist for The
Guardian and National Geographic Travel Food magazine and
restaurant critic for Decanter and publishes her own website
www.matchingfoodandwine.com
World: Kyle Books (Octopus)
Editor: Joanna Copestick
Publication: January 2020NON-FICTION
Tamsin Calidas
I AM AN ISLAND
‘An astonishing tale of
endurance… remarkable and
uplifting.’
-Vogue
Doubleday’s stunning debut
memoir for spring 2020
When Tamsin Calidas first arrives on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides,
it feels like coming home. Disenchanted by London, she and her husband left
the city and high-flying careers to move the 500 miles north, despite having
absolutely no experience of crofting, or of island life. It was idyllic, for a while.
But as the months wear on, the children she'd longed for fail to materialise, and
her marriage breaks down, Tamsin finds herself in ever-increasing isolation.
Injured, ill, without money or friend she is pared right back, stripped to
becoming simply a raw element of the often harsh landscape. But with that
immersion in her surroundings comes the possibility of rebirth and renewal.
Tamsin begins the slow journey back from the brink.
Startling, raw and extremely moving, I Am An Island is a story about the
incredible ability of the natural world to provide when everything else has fallen
away- a stunning book about solitude, friendship, resilience and self-discovery.
TAMSIN CALIDAS is a writer and photographer living in the wilds of the Scottish
Hebrides. She graduated from Oxford University in 1992 and worked in various
roles in advertising, publishing and the BBC before giving it all up in 2004 to move
to the island where this memoir is set.
UK: Doubleday
Editor: Susanna Wadeson
Publication: May 2020
Material available: Page proofs
Rights sold: Germany (HarperCollins)Advance praise for I AM AN ISLAND This is a startling book, a vivid and terrifying reminder of how an island can seduce, madden - and ultimately sustain those brave enough to endure its confines. (Madeleine Bunting, author of Love of Country) An extraordinary book, a wild and redemptive account of reaching rock bottom and swimming back into the light. I’m awed by Tamsin's courage, her resilience and huge heart. Her island will stay with me for a very long time. (Olivia Laing, author of The Lonely City and To the River) An island tale like no other. An unforgettably moving and compulsive read, steeped in anguish and beauty. A book that is unafraid to stare deep into the abyss, and still find a way forward. The story of a woman completely broken by life, and her fifteen-year struggle to find the inner strength to restore herself, through sheer determination, and by immersing herself in solitude. (Neil Ansell, author of Deep Country and Deer Island) Completely astonishing. Using language of shimmering beauty, Tamsin Calidas describes the unravelling of a relationship with such exquisitely small stitches that the eventual thread-baring of her physical and emotional safety, her sense of identity and purpose, blows in like a cold slap of Hebridean wind. A Hardyesque, stripped back connection to the landscape emerges. And yet only with the fragmentation of everything that matters is the fragility of life transcended and restored by the triumphant pull of a determination to survive. (Juliet Nicolson) A meditative breath of fresh air. This book will fill your lungs, sting your eyes and catch in your throat. Soaring prose like birdsong over the harsh lands that compelled Tamsin Calidas to breathe deep. (Ruth Fitzmaurice, author of I Found My Tribe) An extraordinary book of limitless resilience, Calidas' leaping prose is a love song to the natural world. What she achieves with an open heart and a will of iron is nothing short of remarkable. (Sarah Langford, author of In Your Defence) So raw, so honest, so intense. I didn't want this book to end. (Sigri Sandberg, author of An Ode to Darkness) Combining intensely beautiful nature writing with the excavation of deep emotion, this brave, startling book examines what it really means to lose yourself in nature, and in doing so find a completely new version of yourself, too. A powerful, unsettling but ultimately redemptive account of one woman’s deep communion with the natural world. (Clover Stroud, author of My Wild and Sleepless Nights)
NON-FICTION
Rights Held by Publisher
Carl Cox
OH YES, OH YES
For the first time, the
legendary DJ tells his
incredible story
Carl Cox is one of the biggest DJs in the world – a legend who was
instrumental in the birth of dance music culture and who continues to be at
the forefront of the global dance music scene.
Carl has been called ‘the greatest DJ of the last 25 years’ (Mixmag) and in
the summer of 2018 the Evening Standard named him the second most
influential DJ of all time. He was the first DJ to play in the Houses of
Parliament, renowned for his 15 year-long residency with Revolution Space
Ibiza, has his own annual stage at Burning Man, has performed at
Stonehenge and is the only DJ to have brought in the new millennium
twice. He did it by spinning a three-hour set in Australia, then flying halfway
around the world to Hawaii and playing another full set.
For the first time, Carl tells his incredible story in his memoir Oh Yes, Oh
Yes to be published by Lee Brackstone at White Rabbit (Orion) in
September 2020.
UK: White Rabbit (Orion) (World Rights)
Editor: Lee Brackstone
Publication: September 2020NON-FICTION
Claire Nelson
THINGS I LEARNED
FROM FALLING
‘Uplifting and brave…one of
the best non-fiction books of
2020’
-Stylist
Last year, Claire Nelson made international headlines. She was in her thirties and
was beginning to burn out - her hectic London life of work and social activity and
striving to do more and do better in the big city was frenetic and stressful.
Although she was surrounded by people all of the time, she felt increasingly
lonely.
When the anxiety she felt finally brought her to breaking point, Claire decided to
take some time off and travelled to Joshua Tree Park in California to hike and
clear her head. What happened next was something she could never have
anticipated.
While hiking, Claire fell 30 feet, gravely injuring herself and she lay alone in the
desert - mistakenly miles off any trail, without a cell phone signal, fighting for her
life. She lay there for four days until she was miraculously rescued - the doctors
saying she had only hours to live when she was eventually found.
In THINGS I LEARNED FROM FALLING Claire tells her incredible story and what
it taught her about loneliness, anxiety and transformation and how to survive it all.
CLAIRE NELSON is a New Zealand traveller who spent more than a decade in
London working in food and travel journalism, including five years at Jamie
Oliver’s magazine. In 2018 her love of the outdoors inspired her to move to
Canada in search of a life closer to the wilderness. She lived in Vancouver while
writing this book and is now based again in London.
World English: Octopus Books
Editor: Stephanie Jackson
Publication: March 2020
Material available: Finished copies
Rights sold: Italy (Corbaccio)NON-FICTION
Rights Held by Publisher
Shahroo Izadi
THE LAST DIET
* SOLD IN FIVE PUBLISHER AUCTION *
‘The moment I met her I immediately
knew she was the real deal. She just
gets it. She's a sobering, safe and
sassy presence in a world of
extremes’
-Bryony Gordon, #1 bestselling
author of Mad Girl
This is the last diet you'll ever need.
Transform your relationship with food and your body for good with
The Last Diet from Behavioural Change Specialist, Shahroo Izadi.
Shahroo Izadi presents the best approach to losing weight, without telling
you what or how to eat. Shahroo goes deeper than traditional diet plans,
using her professional experience working in addiction treatment and
personal experience of struggling with her own weight and body image to
help you find the best diet for your body and your life.
She shares how the same evidence-based tools she used effectively with
her clients in active addiction helped her to lose eight stone in weight,
increase her self-esteem and help her self-manage a range of unwanted
habits around food and negative self-talk. Shahroo introduces her
revolutionary kindness method and highlights the importance of positive
self-perception, showing how to embrace self-kindness and self-respect.
The Last Diet helps you identify where your unhealthy habits come from,
and how to accept them, change them and what to do when you slip up
through self-tailored exercises to maintain your physical and mental
wellbeing. Shahroo guides you through every step, helping you to draw out
your own wisdom and find motivation for changing long-term habits and
losing weight – for good.
UK: Pan Macmillan (Bluebird Books) US: St. Martin’s Press
Editor: Carole Tonkinson Editor: Joel Fotinos
Publication: January 2020 Publication: April 2020NON-FICTION
Tom Whipple
BATTLE OF THE
BEAMS
‘Tom Whipple is a super boffin with
a penetrating mind.’
- Harper’s Bazaar
For four years, the only Western Front that existed in the Second World War is the
air war we know about - the one involving Spitfires and Hurricanes and the brave
airmen who flew them. But there was what Churchill called The Secret War. This
second war, he said much later, was one 'whose battles were lost or won unknown
by the public and only with difficulty is it comprehended, even now.'
You may think you know about Churchill's secret war, that it happened at Bletchley
where Alan Turing and his colleagues decoded the German Enigma. But this isn't
the secret war to which Churchill was referring - he was talking not about air
supremacy, but airwave supremacy.
This was a battle of minds and cutting edge science, but also involved foreign
agents, heroics, daring pilots and commandos operating behind enemy lines.
There was one man who was at the centre of it all who should be a household
name, but is largely forgotten today: Reginald Jones. BATTLE OF THE BEAMS
tells the incredible true story of his role in one of the most important scientific and
world changing events of the twentieth century.
TOM WHIPPLE is the Science Editor at The Times. He has also freelanced for
other publications, including The Economist 1843 magazine and the Guardian.
He won the British Society of Magazine Editors Feature Writer of the Year
award in 2015, a Kavli medal for magazine journalism in 2020 and was twice
named Guardian Student Feature Writer of the Year. He studied applied
mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University.
His previous books include How to Win Games and Beat People, about
applying game theory to board games and X and Why, about the science of
sex and gender.
UK: Transworld
Editor: Eloisa Clegg/Susanna Wadeson
Material available: ProposalEoin Colfer
PLUGGED
&
SCREWED
* Just optioned for television series *
'I love the voice. I love the dark
streets. I love the story.'
Harlan Coben
Dan, an Irishman who's ended up in New
Jersey, finds himself embroiled in a world of
murder, kidnapping and corrupt cops.
Dan works as a bouncer in a seedy club, half in
love with hostess Connie. When Connie is
murdered on the premises, a vengeful Dan
finds himself embroiled in an increasingly
deadly sequence of events in which his doctor
friend Zeb goes mysteriously missing, a cop-
killing female cop becomes his only ally, and
he makes an enemy of ruthless drug-dealer
Mike Madden.
Written with the warmth and wit that make the
Artemis Fowl novels so irresistible, though with
additional torture and violence, PLUGGED is a
brilliant crime debut from a naturally gifted
writer with a huge fanbase.
UK: Headline, US: Overlook Press
Rights sold: Czech (Albatros), Germany
(Ullstein), Brazil (Record), France (Gallimard),
Israel (Kinneret), Hungary (Gabo), Italy
(Mondadori), Poland (Foksal), Russia (Eksmo)Beasts of Olympus is an 8 book series of 144-page illustrated chapter books set in a magical Ancient Greece where strange creatures still walk the Earth. Beast Keeper tells the story of Pandemonius (a.k.a. "Demon," the half- god son of Pan) who, on his tenth birthday, is called upon to look after all the mythical creatures that belong to the stables of Olympus. * Dreamworks Animation deal signed * UK: Bonnier, US: Penguin Rights sold: Czech Republic (Albatros), Italy (Piemme), France (Hachette Jeunesse), Slovakia (Albatros), Spain & Catalan (La Galera), Turkey (Hep Kitap) Tristan Gooley shows how it is possible to achieve a level of outdoors awareness that will enable you to sense direction from stars and plants, forecast weather from woodland sounds and predict the next action of an animal from its body language - instantly. Using a collection of 'keys' to show how everyone can develop this ability and enjoy the outdoors in an exciting way - one that is both new and ancient. UK: Hodder, US: The Experiment Rights sold: Germany (Heyne), Poland (Otwarte), Spain (Atico de los Libros)
New York Times Bestseller!
Sunday Times Bestseller & Winner Book of the
Year
BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards
‘In terms of sheer did-you-knows per page it is
one of the richest, densest, most rewarding
books on nature Ihave read in a long time…If a
trek with Gooley himself might be daunting, his
book vastly repays any time spent with it.
Above all, its joy in deduction is infectiously
delightful.’
-The Sunday Times
UK: Hodder, US: The Experiment
Rights sold: Catalan (Sidilla), China (Changjiang
Literature & Art Publishing House), Estonia
(Tanapaev), France (under negotiation),
Germany (Riva Verlag), Italy (Geo4Map),
Japan (A&F), Poland (Otwarte), Russia (Eksmo),
Spain (Ático de los Libros),Taiwan (Morning Star
Publishing), Korea (EK Book), Turkey (Beyaz
Baykus)
New York Times Bestseller!
Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is
covered in water, and yet we understand
remarkably little about it. Tristan Gooley helps
readers unlock the secrets of the world’s most
abundant resource.
Here, he shares over 700 clues and patterns
that show how to gauge depth by shadows,
decipher wind direction by ripples, estimate
plant life in the water by colour and much more.
UK: Hodder, US: The Experiment
Rights sold: Italy (Mondadori), Catalan
(Edicions Sidilla), Germany (Riva), Korea (EK
Book), Spain (Atico de los Libros), Poland
(Otwarte), China (Yilin), Taiwan (Flaneur Culture
Lab), Turkey (Butik Yayincilik)sophiehicksagency.com
@SophieHicksAg
60 Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1X 8LU
MORAG O’BRIEN
Foreign Rights Director
morag@sophiehicksagency.com
SARAH WILLIAMS
Agent
sarah@sophiehicksagency.com
SOPHIE HICKS
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