HarperNonFiction wins four-way battle for Fisher

HarperNonFiction has won a four-way auction for Women in the War by Times defence editor Lucy Fisher.

Publishing director Kelly Ellis acquired world all language rights from Max Edwards at Aevitas Creative Management UK. The book will be published in September 2021.

The synopsis explains: “Women in the War is the story of 10 remarkable women, heroines of our greatest generation who dedicated their young adulthood to the war effort. A vivid exploration of how the war changed their lives and society forever, these are the unheard tales of the surviving women of the Second World War.

"From aiding codebreaking at Bletchley Park to plotting the Battle of the Atlantic and working alongside Churchill in the War Rooms below Whitehall, these extraordinary women helped to defend the Home Front and kept Britain going. Now with the wisdom of age, they look back at how they coped with the danger and the trauma, and tell how their spirits were fortified by friendship, fellowship and romance. Based on extensive interviews and including extracts from diaries, contemporary letters, and an array of photographs, Women in the War is a celebration of the bravery and resilience of the women who paved the way for equal rights.”

Fisher said: “It has been a privilege to interview this inspiring group of women, some of whom are now more than 100 years old, and to set out their stories and reflections for posterity. They have a lot to teach us about surviving and thriving in tough times. It is also important to record their wartime achievements in order to be able to draw a thread from that era, through the battles of the ‘women’s lib’ movement of the 1960s onwards, to the rights and social freedom that British women enjoy today. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working on this book with Kelly Ellis and the excellent HarperNonFiction team at HarperCollins UK.”

Ellis added: “This year many of us found ourselves looking to the survivors of the Second World War for hope and reassurance and when I read Lucy’s proposal, I found the very same. Lucy has captured the last testimonies of these courageous women beautifully and their words teach us so much. Not just about life in the war, but also about human nature and how we adapt in times of adversity. We are indebted to the women in this book and HarperNonFiction is honoured to be publishing their stories.”