Barrington Stoke acquires 'hilarious' tale of a royal family's fall from grace

Barrington Stoke will publish middle-grade story Queen of King Street, written and illustrated by Tom McLaughlin. 

Editorial director Ailsa Bathgate acquired English world rights from Caroline Walsh at David Higham Associates. The title will be published on 1st October 2020. 

In Queen of King Street, the Queen's brother, Bertie Montgomery, has gambled away all of the family money. They all have to move out of the palace to King Street, where they find it very hard to fit in with the neighbours and get jobs. The novel presents a "quirky spin on society stereotypes as the royals must learn how to live like common people."

Bathgate said: "There is nothing better than a book that you makes you roar with laughter and Queen of King Street by the immensely talented Tom McLaughlin gets me every time. Whatever your thoughts about the royal family, I defy anyone not to enjoy this hilarious imagining of their fall from grace due to the hapless misadventures of Unlucky Bertie, the Queen's brother."

McLaughlin commented: "As someone with dyslexia, I know how important it is to get children interested in reading and books, and how sometimes it’s easy to feel like you don’t belong in a world of words, but some of the most creative and remarkable people I know are dyslexic. I just hope that readers get as much out of it as I did writing and illustrating it."

McLaughlin is a dyslexia advocate and the author of The Accidental Prime Minister (OUP, 2015).