Bonnier Zaffre signs 'breathless' YA debut

Bonnier Zaffre imprint Hot Key Books has acquired a YA debut from M A Bennett, called Stags.

The book has been pitched as a "twisting, turning thriller", part Hunger Games, part Looking for Alaska, and its author "the next J K Rowling". According to Bonnier Zaffre, the book has been attracting "unprecedented" interest from production companies for film adaptation.

Jane Harris, executive director at Bonnier Zaffre, negotiated world rights from Teresa Chris at the Teresa Chris Literary Agency. Stags will publish on 10th August 2017.

Emma Matthewson, publishing director for Bonnier Zaffre, commented: "From the very first lines M A Bennett draws you in, and doesn’t loosen her grip until you reach the end – breathless. We could not be more excited to be launching M A Bennett’s YA fiction career here at Bonnier Zaffre."

Harris, executive director, Bonnier Zaffre, added: "We only had the first three chapters to read, but knew it had all the ingredients of a bestseller."