Tulisa turns novelist for Headline

Headline has secured world rights to an autobiography and two novels by N-Dubz and “X-Factor” star, Tulisa Contostavlos.

Deputy publishing director Sarah Emsley acquired the three books at auction through Jonathan Shalit of talent agency ROAR Management, with “stiff competition” from six other publishers. The publisher plans to release her autobiography in autumn 2012, with the two novels to follow consecutively in 2013 and 2014.

Twenty-three-year-old Contostavlos grew up in Camden, north London, and acted as the sole carer of her mother when she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. She first rose to fame as the singer in hip-hop group N-Dubz, with the group winning four MOBO awards. She became a judge on ITV1 talent show “The X Factor” last year, mentoring girl group Little Mix to become the first group winners of the show. She is currently working on her first solo album.

Emsley said: “Tulisa is an incredibly talented writer and musician and is an inspiration for young women everywhere . . . Tulisa’s story has incredible breadth and depth for someone so young, and we are absolutely thrilled that she has chosen Headline to be her publisher.”

Headline m.d. Jane Morpeth added that Headline is “equally as thrilled to be publishing her novels” as her autobiography, and said: “As the early material shows, Tulisa has a wonderful grasp of plot and characterisation, and a clear, strong voice runs throughout her work.”