Orion acquires 'page-turner' debut by Smith in two-book pre-empt deal

Orion Fiction has scooped a "suspenseful page-turner" on new motherhood by Curtis Brown Creative alumna Nikki Smith in a two-book pre-emptive deal.

Publisher Harriet Bourton pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights for All In Her Head from Sophie Lambert at C&W Agency. It will be published in spring 2020 in hardback, trade paperback, ebook and audio, with a mass-market paperback following in spring 2021.

The synopsis states: “All In Her Head is an emotionally charged story that takes you into the dark corners of one mother’s mind. Riddled with paranoia, Alison is convinced that she has a very good reason to be afraid – she just can’t remember why. As painful memories surface, so do the lies she has told herself to survive them. Is she losing her mind – or discovering the truth?”

Smith is an ex-English literature graduate with a background in finance. In 2017 she applied for a Curtis Brown Creative three-month writing course. Later that year she had a short story published in the Writer’s Forum Magazine and won the chance to be mentored by author Amanda Reynolds.

Bourton said: “Nikki’s novel was exactly what I’d been waiting to read: a suspenseful page-turner that convincingly and sensitively handles some of the fascinating but silent psychological aspects of new motherhood. Fans of Erin Kelly and Louise Candlish will love All In Her Head. The writing is assured, the pace is taut, and the conversation-starting issue at its heart also makes it perfect for reading groups. I can see it being a book that people read ferociously in one sitting and recommend endlessly, and we are so excited to publish it. Nikki undoubtedly has a long, bright future ahead.”

Smith added: “I'm incredibly excited to be working with Harriet and the amazing team at Orion to tell Ali and Jack's story. After having a traumatic birth experience with both my daughters, I became fascinated with the concept of motherhood and the impact it has on a woman's identity which went on to form the underlying theme of my novel.”