Knights Of buys debut by Sharna Jackson

Independent publisher Knights Of has acquired a mystery series by debut author Sharna Jackson.

The first novel in the series, High-Rise Mystery, aimed at middle-grade readers, is set in a South London tower block during the hottest summer on record. There has been a murder in The Tri, the high-rise buildings where know-it-all protagonists Nik and Norva live, so the duo take it upon themselves to solve the case.

Aimée Felone, co-founder of Knights Of, said: “This series is not only approachable, gripping and fun, but importantly - in placing two young, black detectives at the heart of the story - they help to fill a void which has sadly taken such a long time to fill. We’re delighted to be working with Sharna and extremely passionate about the potential of this ground-breaking series.”

Knights Of acquired world rights, including film, TV and audio, from Hellie Ogden at Janklow and Nesbitt UK, and will publish in April 2019.

Jackson is artistic director of Site Gallery in Sheffield and works with children to develop digital initiatives within the arts. She said: “I'm driven to encourage children to discover and enjoy arts and culture, and show them that they can participate, and it's for them, too. I'm now turning my eye to detective fiction - I hope Nik and Norva encourage a new generation of readers to love crime - reading about it, that is.”

High-Rise Mystery is the third book to be announced by Knights Of, which launched last year to publish inclusive children’s books, and is supported by public funding from Arts Council England.