Chicken House to publish Chinese author Chen Jiatong

Chicken House has signed the English language rights to two middle-grade books by Chinese author Chen Jiatong.

The deal, which the publisher claims is for the first modern Chinese middle grade series to be translated and brought to the English-speaking market, comprises two books in the White Fox Dilah series, about white foxes who live in the arctic. One day Dilah spies a human family and dreams of being human himself. But when his parents are assasinated, long-held secrets and a a legend about a miraculous treasure rise to the surface.

Publisher Barry Cunningham bought world English rights from Jenny Savill and Charlotte Seymour at Andrew Nurnberg Associates and will publish the two books, Dilah and the Moonstone and Dilah and the Wheel of Reincarnation, in 2019.

“We’re delighted to be bringing this important magical series to the English market in an unprecedented acquisition – a precursor to further Chicken House cooperation with Chinese children’s publishers and authors,” said Cunningham.

Jiatong, 31, graduated from Beihang University with a Master’s degree in Engineering and now works in international trade.