Author Charlesworth launches new imprint, Moth Books

Monique Charlesworth, author of four novels including The Children’s War (Harper Perennial), has launched a new imprint, Moth Books.  

Working alongside the editorial team at Whitefox Publishing, Charlesworth will be overseeing Moth Books as commissioning editor, implementing the imprint’s ethos to "buck industry trends". She commented: “Talented authors aren’t being considered for publication for reasons unconnected to their work — they and their books just don’t fit the usual categories. They might be seen as marginal or unfashionable; they don’t have the right social media presence.

“As new technologies lower the barriers to entry, authors can and should become publishers where it’s appropriate. I want to facilitate the making of the books I want to read, books of great quality with personal voices and a European feel, and [which] will be beautifully edited and crafted.”  

Charlesworth’s goal is to publish “talented authors who don’t fit the usual criteria”. “The choice of who and what to publish seems to be driven by marketing concerns: clearly the tail is wagging the dog,” said Charlesworth. “But quality is paramount, in content and presentation. My choices will be unashamedly eclectic and personal.” 

Moth Books will initially publish one to two books per year in print, digital and audio, focusing on non-fiction and adult fiction. The imprint’s inaugural title, Mother Country: A Story of Love and Lies by Charlesworth, will be publishing in March 2023.  

Mother Country is a “compelling, frank and witty” memoir which explores the life of Charlesworth’s mother Inge. The publisher wrote: “Monique’s mother Inge was German, half-Jewish and a Holocaust survivor, all of which she chose to deny until the very end. Talented and able, charismatic and infuriating, she surged through life constantly reinventing herself.” 

Looking beyond Mother Country, Moth Books will also be publishing an as yet untitled book from Julian Evans detailing, in a “frank, moving and highly entertaining story”, his friendship with French novelist Michel Déon.   

When asked about the inspiration behind the imprint’s name, Charlesworth responded: “Moths are tiny and prefer the finest silk and cashmere. They go their own way but are a force to be reckoned with and they find their way to the light."