Bloomsbury signs kids’ fantasy duo

Bloomsbury Children’s Books has acquired world rights, in all languages, to two fantasy series from Catherine Pellegrino at Marjacq.

First-time Australian author T C Shelley’s (pictured) middle-grade series is about a “strange and unique” monster named Imp, who looks like a human boy and is sought by Thunderguts, king of the ogres, who believes Imp has the power to make monsters roam the Earth once more.

The first book, The Monster Who Wasn’t, will be published in May 2019, with books two and three due in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Commissioning editor Hannah Sandford struck the deal.

Bloomsbury Children’s also acquired Steve Feasey’s YA fantasy series Dark Blade, set in a land of “gods and monsters, witches and necromancers”.

The series will launch in July 2019, with a sequel to follow in 2020. Publishing director Rebecca McNally and assistant editor Callum Kenny signed the titles.