Avon buys two more books from Cook

Avon has bought two more historical novels from Lorna Cook, taking her publishing with Avon up to 2024. 

Rachel Faulkner-Willcocks, senior commissioning editor, struck the deal for world English rights with Rebecca Ritchie of A M Heath. Cook is the author of the e-book bestseller The Forgotten Village (Avon) and is a recipient of the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers.

Cook said she was "over the moon" to be staying with the publisher, adding: "I can’t wait to give readers books five and six over the next few years and to keep working with the wonderful team at Avon in order to make that happen."

Ritchie added: "It has been such a pleasure watching Avon build Lorna Cook over the last few years, after the incredible success of her debut The Forgotten Village, and I’m delighted they have acquired two new books to continue this trajectory. The team there is so creative and passionate, and Lorna writes such appealing, captivating historical fiction, so I can’t wait to see what they do together next."

Faulkner-Willcocks added: "Both myself and the whole team at Avon are incredibly excited to have two brand-new historical novels on the way from Lorna. Her books weave together the most meticulous research with phenomenal storytelling to shine a light on untold stories from the past. I can’t wait to get these new titles into the hands of her many fans!"

Century recently pre-empted Cook's contemporary debut novel The Man I Never Met, written under the pseudonym Elle Cook, in a two-book deal.