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Faber Academy graduate's time-slip debut to Avon
Molly Walker-Sharp has made her first acquisition at Avon Books, 16 months after joining as an intern, buying a novel about one woman’s journey of self-discovery by Faber Academy graduate Adrienne Chinn (pictured).
Walker-Sharp started at the HarperCollins imprint as an intern in April last year, becoming editorial assistant in August. A year on, she has signed a two-book deal with Chinn for her “beautifully-written time slip” debut The Lost Letter from Morocco and another as-yet-untitled novel.
She acquired world English language rights to the titles from Joanna Swainson at Hardman and Swainson Literary Agency. The first book is slated for publication in spring 2019.
Chinn’s debut novel follows a young woman on a journey of self-discovery across Morocco, after she finds a photograph of her late father with a mystery woman and is determined to unlock the secrets of her past.
After studying in Canada, Chinn retraced her English father's footsteps back to England where she found work as a freelance TV and film researcher while writing novels, plays, short stories and haiku. In 2007 her design book The Home Decorator's Colour & Texture Sourcebook was published by Apple.
She attended the Faber Academy "Writing a Novel" course in 2011 where she began work on the novel that was to become The Lost Letter from Morocco, influenced by her love of the North African country which she has been visiting for more than 10 years.
Walker-Sharp said: “Adrienne effortlessly creates a sensuous evocation of Morocco and her knowledge of the region shines through her writing – I have no doubt that readers will be absolutely swept away by this sumptuous read next spring.”
Chinn said: ‘The phone call from Avon with an offer to publish The Lost Letter from Morocco and a second novel came while I was standing on Clapham Junction Station. I whooped, which did cause some stares. I'm thrilled to be working with Molly and the brilliant team at Avon, where I know my novels have found a wonderful home."
