Canongate signs 'heart-stealing' title Penguin Bloom

Canongate is to publish Penguin Bloom: The Odd Little Bird Who Saved a Family by Cameron Bloom and Trevor Bradley Greive on Super Thursday (6th October).

Jenny Lord, senior editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to the title from Angharad Kowal at Writers House UK.

Penguin Bloom is a story of how compassion, friendship and family can come from "unexpected quarters". Author Bloom, his wife Sam and their three boys were a "normal, happy" family – until a near-fatal fall left Sam paralysed and she sank into a deep depression. But in the "darkest days" of Sam's struggle, a new and unexpected member of the family came into their lives: an injured magpie chick abandoned after she fell from her nest, who became known as Penguin Bloom. The Blooms rescued Penguin, and in return she saved them in ways they could not have imagined. As her damaged little chick grew into a strong and beautiful bird, Sam found a joy and strength of her own.

Lord said: "Penguin Bloom swooped in and stole our hearts at Canongate. This is a remarkable and inspiring story, beautifully told with Bradley’s words and Cameron’s extraordinary photographs."

Penguin Bloom will be published on 6th October 2016 priced at £12.99.