Onwe acquires books from Ferguson and Herd

Indie publisher Onwe has acquired Rab Ferguson’s middle-grade novel, The Late Crew, and a contemporary debut novel, See My Smile, by Mike Herd (pictured).

Onwe has acquired world rights to both titles directly from the authors.

Ferguson’s The Late Crew, will be published on 2nd November 2021, and will follow young carers and a child with autism as the heroes in a sci-fi adventure plot. The synopsis explains: "When Tyler and a group of other young carers are kept back in detention for being late (it's hard to be on time when you’re looking after others), a spaceship crashes into the school. They come face-to-face with an alien and must team up to protect the alien’s egg. The only problem: a creature called The Slime has taken over their headteacher, and he will stop at nothing to steal the egg."

The publisher commented: "We are excited to be publishing The Late Crew not only because it is an endearing, fun and suspenseful story that is sure to be enjoyed by many young readers, but also because we believe that every young person deserves to be represented in their very own ‘save the world’ story.

See My Smile, Herd's debut, will follow John, who has an idea for ground-breaking tech to help with his son's autistic isolation, and moves into the unpredictable world of business. John soon discovers that everything comes with a price, and as he strives to help his son, he has to ward off threats to his marriage, family and life. It will be published on 24th January 2022.

Onwe said the novel "combines the themes of family, business and autism in heartfelt and original ways", adding: "With See My Smile, Mike has interwoven his professional and personal experiences into a strikingly high-stakes marriage story that will leave readers with no easy answers."