Annie Atkins to pen Christmas book for Magic Cat

Magic Cat has acquired Letters from the North Pole, an illustrated book from designer Annie Atkins, which is destined to be a “modern classic” according to the publisher.

Rachel Williams, co-founder and publisher at Magic Cat, acquired rights from Olivia Triggs at Breed London. Atkins, best known for her work designing on various Wes Anderson films, wrote and art-directed the book, designed by Stephanie Jones and edited by Katie Cotton. With illustrations by Fia Tobing, the book is set to publish in October 2024.

The publisher says: “In this charming read-aloud story, five children from all around the world write to Santa Claus with ideas for Christmas gifts and are amazed when he writes back. Each of the letters can be pulled out and read by children aged 3-plus and are accompanied by a blueprint for their gift made by the elves in Santa’s Workshop.

“In each letter, the hidden world of the North Pole is revealed, from how reindeer can sleep standing up to what snacks Santa would like left out on Christmas Eve and how he gets around the world so quickly.”

Atkins said: “Designing in character is my favourite part of my day job, so writing this book in the voice of Santa Claus has been tremendous fun. And [there is] no better publisher to create this with than Magic Cat, whose books always feel like a present. I think kids are going to like it.”

Williams said: “No one recreates a world like Annie Atkins – and she has captured the magic of Christmas on every page of this extraordinary project.”

Atkins’ first book, Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps, was published in 2020 by Phaidon. Tobing is a freelance illustrator from Jakarta, Indonesia.