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A hat-trick of YA débuts go to PRH Children’s on the eve of Bologna
Penguin Random House Children’s has inked three “major” deals for Young Adult titles from first-time authors just ahead of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair: two “sizzling” romantasies and a high-concept queer friends-to-lovers thriller/romance.
World rights for two books from Australian author Sophie Clark were snapped up by publisher Anthea Townsend, simultaneously with her colleagues at Knopf US and PRH Australia in a "significant" global co-publishing deal conducted by Christabel McKinley at David Higham Associates. The first title, the “epic and sizzling” romantasy Cruel is the Light focuses on the brutal war between demons and man which has raged across Europe for over a century. When “elite Vatican exorcist” Selene crosses paths with mysterious foot soldier Jules, forbidden attraction soon follows, but they then discover a terrible secret.
Publisher Carmen McCullough, meanwhile, had a six-figure pre-empt accepted by Maddy Belton at the Madeleine Milburn agency for Katja Kaine’s Singapore-inspired feminist romantasy Blood of Gods and Girls. The book is a “melting pot of Eastern culture featuring female friendships, romance, betrayal and action-packed adventure”. It centres around Nisha, who must win the respect of a matriarchal Golden Eagle warrior and navigate her feelings for a holy man who represents those she hates.
Yorkshire-based Kaine is a half-Singaporean, half-German and is the creator of writing software The Novel Factory. Blood of Gods and Girls was longlisted for the 2023 Bath Children’s and WriteMentor unpublished novel awards.
The trio of deals was rounded out by editorial director Amina Youssef acquiring world and dramatisation rights to Bristol resident J L Simmonds’ Run Away with Me from Saskia Leach at the Kate Nash Literary Agency. The book—“packed with juicy BookTok tropes”—follows Jessie who “needs to get the hell out of Seattle” after admitting she wanted her abusive stepfather dead, as he has now been murdered. When popular and beautiful Brooke offers Jessie a ride in her vintage red Mustang, they go on the run across America. Can they stay ahead of the cops? And as their friendship blossoms into something more, can they find a future together?
The deals were announced ahead of PRH’s YA Ball at Bologna’s Palazzo Gnudi last night (8th April) which featured recently and soon-to-be published writers including Bea Fitzgerald and Manjeet Mann.
Publishing director Ruth Knowles said PRH Children’s is “so excited by the ongoing boom in YA and crossover fiction across genres, as well as our success and growth in this area. We’re reading outstanding new novels every week that we can’t wait to publish and help readers discover".
Cruel is the Light and Run Away with Me are due to be published in January and June 2025 respectively. Blood of Gods and Girls is to follow in March 2026.
