David Fickling lands Said's 'best book so far'  

David Fickling Books has landed Tyger, the fourth novel from SF Said, set in an alternate world where the British Empire never ended and marking the return of his partnership with illustrator Dave McKean. 

Rosie Fickling, commissioning editor, acquired world rights from James Catchpole at the Catchpole Agency. Dave McKean illustration rights were negotiated separately with Merrilee Heifetz at Writer’s House. Tyger will be published in October 2022.  

Said’s debut novel, Varjak Paw (Penguin Random House Children’s), won the Nestlé Smarties Prize Gold Medal and he was the first writer from an ethnic minority background to do so. The sequel, Outlaw Paw (PRH Children’s), won the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award while his third novel, Phoenix (PRH Children’s), was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2013 and selected for the 2016 IBBY Honour List.  

McKean has illustrated all of Said’s novels as well as books by David Almond and Neil Gaiman. He was also a concept artist for two Harry Potter films and has directed three feature films including “The Gospel of Us” starring Michael Sheen.  

The synopsis for Tyger reads: “In a strange alternate world, where the British Empire has never ended, a young boy called Adam has uncovered something incredible in a rubbish dump in London–a mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A Tyger.”  

Fickling said: “Tyger isn’t just a book, it’s a gateway into another world. A world where we all have sparks, hidden powers, inside of us. It’s the kind of book where you start to wonder: What if? Could it be? I’ve had the privilege of immersing myself in this story with SF throughout the editorial process and I can’t wait to see the same light in readers’ eyes that I feel in me now. After reading, I hope they also find themselves increasingly noticing the world around them, looking more closely at a flower, at a grain of sand–and perhaps, every time they smell honeysuckle, hopefully whispering ’Is the Tyger nearby?’”  

Said said: “I believe Tyger is my best book so far. I wanted to write a story even more exciting than Varjak Paw, and even more ambitious than Phoenix.  It’s taken me nine long, hard years to do it but I am thrilled to be publishing it at last this year–the Year of the Tiger.”  

He added: “I’m also thrilled to be working again with Dave McKean, my favourite artist, whose stunning illustrations were such a vital part of the Varjak Paw books and Phoenix. His work on Tyger is some of the very best he’s ever done and it’s going to delight and amaze readers of all ages again.”