You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Andersen Press snaps up Conaghan's 'devastating' new novel
Andersen Press has snapped up Treacle Town, the "devastating" new novel from Brian Conaghan.
Publishing director Charlie Sheppard acquired world rights from Nicola Barr at the Bent Agency. The YA novel will be published in October 2023.
Treacle Town is a "hard-hitting" novel, with "powerful" slam poetry sections, set in Coatbridge, a "post-industrial outpost 11 miles east of Glasgow", said Conaghan.
The synopsis for the novel reads: "Con O’Neill is stuck in a world of brutal gang violence, sectarian vendettas and personal tragedy. The lack of opportunities for him and the rest of his gang is all too apparent. No money. No prospects. A social design that entraps inhabitants of Treacle Towns up and down the country.
"Connor is desperate to get away, to find another life where he can experience happiness and fulfilment. When he stumbles upon the new world of slam poetry, Con senses a glimmer of hope – a hope that might just lead to his escape from Treacle Town… but it won’t be easy."
Conaghan commented: "It was vital for me to represent the veracity of the town as accurately, honestly and sensitively as possible. The characters in my book speak in a vernacular that is particular to their environment; it’s rambunctious, awash with humour and, at times, downright aggressive, but, unapologetically, this is the reality. Anything else would’ve been a watered-down imitation."
Sheppard added: "For a while now I’ve been looking for more working-class stories and truths for teens. We need to hear the voices of all underrepresented people in our literature. We need Shuggie Bain for teens. We need Brighton Rock for the modern YA reader. And in Treacle Town I feel Brian Conaghan has given us that and so much more. Brian has captured a voice that is hard-hitting, redemptive, authentic and vital."
