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Orion wins auction for illustrator Rubyetc
Orion is publishing the darkly comic sketches of a 22-year-old illustrator exploring struggles with mental health, following a five-way auction.
"Shining a light on very real problems", the "honest and unapologetic" illustrated account, entitled It's All Absolutely Fine, has been designed to tap into a growing awareness of mental health issues, encompassing everything from anxiety, bipolar disorder and body image to depression and identity,
The illustrator behind the book, and the Tumblr account that inspired it, is Ruby Elliot, known as “Rubyetc”. Elliot is a London-based illustrator whose Tumblr blog started three years ago now has over 200,000 subscribers, as well as 31,000 facebook fans, 28,000 Instagram followers and 16,000 Twitter followers.
The book will include mostly new material, both written and illustrated, to form "an inspirational, empowering and entertaining book to lead the way for publishing in this genre".
Emma Smith, editor for Orion non-fiction, bought UK and Commonwealth rights to It's All Absolutely Fine by Rubyetc from Nicola Barr at Greene & Heaton. It will be published by Orion Books on 17th November 2016, priced £12.99.
Smith said: “I am so proud and delighted to be publishing It's All Absolutely Fine. When I first discovered Ruby, I was utterly absorbed by her work and I can’t wait to bring her wonderful illustrations and words to a wider audience. Ruby has that rare ability to perfectly balance mental health with humour, making serious issues accessible – and very funny. With her superb talent to capture the essence of human emotion (and to make you laugh out loud), this book is as important and necessary as it is entertaining.”
Elliot said: "When Orion asked me to make my book with them I did the stupidest of grins that filled up my whole face, and when people asked me why I said, 'BECAUSE I AM DOING A BOOK WITH LOVELY PEOPLE WHO WANT ME TO DRAW ABOUT SAD THINGS IN A FUNNY WAY AND FUNNY THINGS IN A SAD WAY AND I AM ALSO ALLOWED SWEARING". I said it all in capitals and everything. I can't wait for you to see it!"
