Bonnier unveils new titles from Wilbur Smith ‘treasure trove’ completed before he died
Bonnier Books UK and the Wilbur Smith estate have released details of upcoming titles from a “treasure trove” of novels completed prior to the author’s passing, including a further Courtney adventure and a new novel set in Ancient Egypt.
Set against a backdrop of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, Nemesis, to be published in April 2023, picks up from the action of Storm Tide to continue the Birds of Prey sequence of the Courtney family series—the longest in publishing history, according to the publisher. The next two titles in the sequence will follow in April 2024 and April 2025.
The publisher said all three manuscripts were completed by Smith in collaboration with co-author Tom Harper, who also worked alongside Smith on previous Courtney books Tiger’s Prey, Ghost Fire and Storm Tide.
Before his death in 2021, Smith signed an eight-figure deal with Bonnier Zaffre in 2017, described by then Bonnier Publishing group chief executive Richard Johnson as “one of the biggest in publishing history". He signed a further 10-book deal with the publisher in December 2020.
Testament, the latest in his Ancient Egyptian series, co-authored by Mark Chadbourn, will be published in September 2023. Following on from The New Kingdom in September 2021, and Titans of War in 2022, Testament opens with the Egyptian victory over the invading Hyksos army in Thebes and a divided Egypt in desperate need of leadership to restore its fortunes.
In 2024 a final adventure will complete Smith’s vision for this story arc, set in the world of his beloved character Taita, the publisher said. Altogether, Smith and his co-authors completed 10 adult titles prior to his passing in November 2021.
The author was “particularly keen to unite the two strands of the Courtney family tree, bringing the Courtneys of Europe and the Courtneys of Africa together to complete his exploration of the touchpoints of world history from the 1500s to the present day, as seen through the eyes of one family dynasty”, the publisher continued.
"Wilbur’s imagination and creative powers remained undiminished until the end, and he left many notes and drafts outlining his plans for future titles. Bonnier Books UK and the Wilbur Smith Estate look forward to working with the talented co-authors Wilbur selected to complete these unfinished works, which include further adventures set in the history and mythology of Ancient Egypt and two more titles in the Prey Zone series for middle-grade and teen readers, which launched in September 2022 and continues in September 2023 with Prey Zone: Serpent’s Lair."
Kate Parkin, m.d. of Adult Trade at Bonnier Books, said: “While the undisputed Master of Adventure is sadly no longer with us, his remarkable talent for storytelling and world-building shines throughout these forthcoming books. We look forward to sharing this legacy with the legion of Wilbur Smith fans worldwide for years to come.”
Niso Smith, director of the Wilbur Smith Estate, said: “Wilbur worked very hard until his very last day to put onto paper the depths of his imagination, relaying to his readership the history and the heights of African adventure.
The Wilbur Smith Estate is taking great pride in seeing that his works are completed and his legacy is continued”.
Several events are also planned for 2023, the year in which Smith would have turned 90, including the release of a one-hour film documenting his work through Amazon Video, a special project to engage gap-year adventurers around the world, and a celebration of him during the London Book Fair 2023. A special edition of When the Lion Feeds to mark its 60th anniversary in 2024 is also planned, to be accompanied by a global campaign asking fans, "Where were you when you discovered Wilbur Smith?"
