Egmont signs three-book deal with Jim Smith

Egmont has signed a deal with award-winning author Jim Smith for his new series A Super Weird! Mystery. 

Commissioning editor Liz Bankes signed a world rights deal in all languages alongside Caroline Sheldon at Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. The deal includes two additional releases in August 2020 and February 2021. 

The first in the series to be released on 6th February 2020 is Danger at Donut Diner that follows a detective duo on their adventures on Donut – a perfectly round island with a hole in the middle.  Smith’s latest instalment will be his third book series including Barry Loser and Future Ratboy. Smith, who has sold 478,158 books for £2.5m through Nielsen, is the recipient of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Scholastic Laugh Out Loud Awards and has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. 

Bankes said: "We are super-excited to welcome the Super Weird gang to Egmont and to continue our super-awesome partnership with the super-SUPER Jim Smith! This is a comedy mystery series as only Jim could imagine it, and with his unique brand of humour and artwork style, these books will be playground essentials for Barry fans and beyond."

Smith added: "It’s been super cool coming up with a whole new universe to set my stories in, and I’m especially excited about my new trademark *smaller* noses. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’ve had it up to here with big hooters. I’m already best friends with all my new characters and can’t wait to write their next Super Weird adventure!"