Fairlight Books signs Love's 'brazen' debut novel

Oxford-based indie Fairlight Books has snapped up Jennifer Love’s "brazen and intimate" debut novel, Please Fear Me. 

Assistant editor Sarah Shaw acquired worldwide rights, including audio, directly from the author for publication in September 2024. 

Please Fear Me follows two homeless girls, Violet and Smidge, who are travelling across the US while "develop[ing] a performance which will enable them to rise above the harsh realities of their pasts". The synopsis continues: "But when their act draws the attention of a ‘cultish’ circus, Violet falls into the thrall of the enigmatic ringleader and their relationship begins to fracture. Smidge soon realises that she can’t keep running forever, and embarks on a journey home to face her mother and the trauma she left behind." 

A "tender, painfully raw and gripping" novel, is the publisher’s verdict.

Shaw said: "After receiving Jennifer’s manuscript through our open submissions programme, I was captivated from page one. Smidge’s voice is totally riveting – simultaneously brazen and vulnerable, witty and devastating. We’re so glad to be sharing Please Fear Me with readers and to help Jennifer cement herself as an exceptional new writer on the literary fiction scene."

Love added: "Please Fear Me is the culmination of a long, messy meditation on teen girl alchemy: fear to rage, rage to power and how those who slip through societal cracks can wield that power in unprecedented ways. I’m thrilled to be bringing this story to life with Fairlight Books."