'Funny and touching' parenting travel memoir to Aurum

Aurum will publish Shape of a Boy by Kate Wickers, a "parenting travel memoir". 

Katie Bond, publisher, pre-empted world English rights from Darryl Samaraweera at Artellus for publication in January 2022.

Wickers is a travel journalist and mother of three. Shape of a Boy is billed as an "inspirational" memoir about the life lessons she learnt on her family's travels, from overcoming disappointment in Thailand to saying sorry in Japan; from perseverance in Borneo to conservation in Malaysia.

Bond said: "This is a must-read for every wannabe-traveller grounded by lockdown, and for every parent who has dreaded travelling with a baby. Kate’s intrepid spirit is infectious, and her family’s adventures made me belly-laugh—and they brought a lump to my throat. Shape of a Boy captures the essence of being a parent in the thick of it and learning on the hoof."

Samaraweera added: "I am thrilled to see Kate’s colourful, funny and touching travel memoir being published by Aurum. Katie Bond’s enthusiasm for this delightful project matched my own, and I look forward to the success the team at Aurum will have with Shape of a Boy."

Wickers commented: "I worked out at university that being a travel writer was my dream job. When our first son, Josh, was born I was determined that ‘have baby, will travel’ would be my mantra. Adding two more sons, Ben and Freddie, to the mix wasn’t going to keep us at home either. What we experienced as a family often took us by surprise. Most experiences were magical and exceptional; and on the rare occasion, disturbing and upsetting. Writing this book, I have thought about how travel has defined the shape of my boys, from toddlers to teens. I couldn’t be more excited to be published by Aurum in 2022."