HCG expands on Oseman’s graphic novel series

Hachette Children’s Group (HCG) has acquired two more volumes in Alice Oseman’s graphic novel series, Heartstopper.

HCG secured world rights to volumes 3 and 4 in the series, which will continue the love story of Nick and Charlie, two characters from Oseman’s novel Solitaire (published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2014).

Heartstopper began life as an online webcomic, gaining more than 70,000 subscribers and 4.6 million views on the online platform Tapas. Oseman then launched a kickstarter, which reached its target in two hours, to fund a self-published print run. HCG then stepped in and acquired the rights to publish volumes one and two in the series in October and will publish the first volume next week (7th February).

Rachel Wade, senior commissioning editor at HCG, said: “Publishing the first volume of Heartstopper is the perfect feel-good start to 2019 and I am beyond thrilled that we will be able to publish Nick and Charlie’s ongoing story – and work with the extraordinarily talented Alice Oseman – for years to come.”

Wade acquired world rights from Claire Wilson from RCW. Volume two will be released on 11th July, volume three in 2020 and volume four in 2021.