'Twitter’s unofficial poet laureate' signs debut novel

Picador has scooped the debut novel of "Twitter’s unofficial poet laureate".

Paul Baggaley, the imprint’s publisher, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to publish The Diary of a Somebody by Brian Bilston following an exclusive submission from Jo Unwin at JULA. The Diary of a Somebody will be published as a Picador hardback in 2019.

Bilston boasts more than 50,000 Twitter followers including J K Rowling, Roger McGough and Frank Cottrell Boyce. His first collection, You Took the Last Bus Home, was published by Unbound.

The diary-style novel follows Bilston “deciding to write a poem every day for a year”.  But, the blurb reads, can his poetry save him from his arch nemesis, Toby Salt of boutique artisan publishing house?

Baggaley said: “I have never read a more unusual book, and I don’t think I have laughed as much reading a novel since the formative experience of reading Adrian Mole. The book is both hilarious and original, heart-breaking and fiendishly clever. I can’t wait to bring this wonderful book to readers everywhere.”