Abi Elphinstone signs three with S&S

Simon & Schuster Children’s has signed a new trilogy by Abi Elphinstone, author of The Dreamsnatcher trilogy and Sky Song.

The Unmapped Chronicles will be three interlinked novels about the “unmapped kingdoms”, which cannot be found on any map. But when an evil harpy called Morg appears, the people of these kingdoms must reach out to the children of our world for help. Each novel will tell the story of one child, chosen by a mystical phoenix, to stop the march of Morg.

Editorial director Jane Griffiths bought world rights from Hannah Sheppard at the D H H Literary Agency and will publish the first story in paperback in May 2019. Book two will follow in May 2020 and book three in May 2021.

“Abi has already established herself as one of the best authors writing middle-grade fiction today, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have signed up three new books,” said Griffiths. “Sitting firmly in her heartland of adventure, magic and wonder, The Unmapped Chronicles is something very special and will catapult Abi to even greater heights.”

Sky Song is currently Waterstone’s children’s book of the month.