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David Fickling Books has acquired A Riddle for a King by Mark Forsyth, illustrated by Matthew Land.
Liz Cross, managing and publishing director at David Fickling Books, acquired world rights from Caroline Dawnay at United Agents, with illustration world rights from Caroline Thomson at Arena. The book will be published on 12th September 2024 as a paperback original.
The book is billed as "an exciting adventure, filled with magic, fun, friendships, and weird and wonderful creatures". The publisher said: "The story introduces readers to some brain-bendy puzzles and might just convince you that up is down and down is up." It adds: "Philo longs for freedom and adventure, and he most certainly gets it when he lands in the strangest of lands: a place where nothing makes sense, a place packed with riddles and paradoxes.
"Will Philo ever make it home? Will he make sense of the conundrums that litter his path? An addictive, delightfully bamboozling story sure to thrill and intrigue puzzle-loving readers."
Cross said: "It’s a thrill to be working with Mark on such a distinctly different novel. It whisks together his love of words, clever humour, and fascination with riddles and paradoxes to make something that is both a wonderful adventure story and a feast of puzzling scenarios – while, at the same time, just being gloriously silly too."
Forsyth added: "I’m tickled pink to have David Fickling Books publishing my first novel. I only hope that I can bring a little illogicality to the gruff, realistic, rational world of children’s books."