You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Avon signs debut author Hannah Sunderland in two-book deal
HarperCollins has snapped up two women’s fiction books by debut author Hannah Sunderland.
Helen Huthwaite, publishing director, negotiated the deal for HarperCollins imprint Avon and acquired world all language rights from Elena Langtry at the Coombs Moylett Maclean Agency.
The first book, Very Nearly Normal, is an event title for summer 2020, with Avon supporting this debut outing with "beautiful proofs and a huge campaign to back it, ensuring that it is the next must-have book on everyone’s reading list," said the publisher.
Very Nearly Normal tells the story of Effie, a young woman who is convinced the world is against her. That is until she meets Theo – a man who just might be her soulmate. But Theo has a life-changing secret, and as Effie realises that she’s no longer falling apart and is now falling in love, life deals the couple another hand. And this time, the stakes are high.
Huthwaite said: "I had one of those wonderful publishing moments when Very Nearly Normal landed on my desk. I knew immediately that nothing else would matter until I finished this brilliant book; a book that was infused with the humour of Marian Keyes, the quirks of Eleanor Oliphant but, even more notably, the heart- wrenching moments of Jojo Moyes. I’ve been in the industry long enough to recognise a book that bears all the hallmarks of a smash hit – and this has the lot. The memorable characters, the sweeping storyline, the laughs, the tears, and of course, the utter bliss of losing yourself in a storyline that you can’t get enough of. We couldn’t be more excited to publish this huge hug of a book in 2020 and I have no doubt that readers will soon love it as much as we all do."
Sunderland, who lives in Sutton Coldfield and runs her own business making props for crime scene reconstructions, added: "I have been overwhelmed by Avon’s enthusiasm for Very Nearly Normal and the support they have given me. I cannot imagine a better home for my book or a more encouraging team to be paired with."
