Macmillan buys two Jennifer E Smith YA novels

Macmillan Children’s Books has bought the UK and Commonwealth rights to two novels by US YA writer Jennifer E Smith.

The first, Windfall, due for publication in May 2017, is about a teenage girl called Alice who is in love with her best friend Teddy. Alice buys Teddy a lottery ticket for his 18th birthday and he unexpectedly wins $145m, although the windfall sometimes feels like a curse.

A second novel, as yet untitled, will follow in 2018.

Editorial director Rachel Petty struck the deal with Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown at auction.

Petty said: “I’ve loved Jennifer’s books for years now – they’re the perfect mix of beautiful writing, romance, wish-fulfilment and total escapism. I’m absolutely thrilled that Macmillan will be her new publishing home in the UK. Along with our brilliant homegrown YA we’re very proud to be publishing some incredible US YA this year including new titles from David Levithan, Kendare Blake and Marissa Meyer amongst others and we couldn’t be happier for Jennifer and Windfall to join what is shaping up to be a stellar list.”

Smith was previously published by Headline in the UK.