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Barrington Stoke scoops 'uplifting' romance from Simon James Green
Barrington Stoke has scooped The Big Ask, an "uplifting romance", from Simon James Green.
Publisher Ailsa Bathgate acquired world rights from Joanna Moult at Skylark Literary. The book will be published in Barrington Stoke’s super-readable format in June 2024 for readers aged 13 and over.
Green’s story follows Alfie and the "romantic roller-coaster" which ensues after he asks the coolest boy in school to the prom.
The synopsis continues: "Harvey is popular, cool, plays football and has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Summer for as long as anyone can remember. Alfie is not popular, not cool, has a sick note so he doesn’t have to play any sport, and has been in a relationship with his Xbox since forever. So when Summer dramatically dumps Harvey just a few days before the school prom, no one is expecting Alfie to ask Harvey to be his date. Least of all Alfie. But sometimes amazing things can happen when you take a chance."
Green commented: “I spend a lot of time doing author visits in schools, and librarians and teen readers are crying out for shorter, accessible, fun YA titles...The Big Ask is a book about being brave enough to ask life’s big questions, but it’s also about how, sometimes, you’ve just got to put those questions aside, live in the moment, and let things (and people) work themselves out.”
Bathgate added: "Simon James Green writes wonderfully hilarious and heartfelt books about the lives of ordinary LGBTQ+ young people that have important messages about identity and sexuality, kindness and acceptance, and I couldn’t be happier to be welcoming him to the Barrington Stoke list with The Big Ask – in which he’s managed to encapsulate all his trademark brilliance in our shorter format.”
