Hachette Children’s Group buys ‘unapologetically Black’ vampire fantasy trilogy

Hachette Children’s Group has acquired an “unapologetically Black vampire fantasy trilogy” from Melbourne-based debut author Tigest Girma.

Nazima Abdillahi, acquired Immortal Dark as part of a global deal alongside Hachette Australia and New Zealand, and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in the United States. Hachette acquired world rights for three books from Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary. The first title in the series, Immortal Dark, publishes in hardback in September 2024.

This will have a global co-publication led by Abdillahi, commissioning editor in the UK, Ruqayyah Daud, associate editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in the US, and in Australia by Jeanmarie Morosin, head of children’s publishing, Hachette Australia & New Zealand.

The publisher says: “Tigest expertly weaves in East African characters and lore to bring a unique and decadent spin on vampires, introducing an elite secret university, a seductive romance to die for, and ancient creatures of the night bound to 12 human houses that each represent a bloodline more cutthroat and competitive than the next.”

Abdillahi said: “I  immediately fell in love with Immortal Dark and Tigest’s beautiful writing style. In this dark, captivating and epic debut, Tigest has brought vampires back in the best way. I can’t wait for readers to fall fangs over heels for the cut-throat world she’s built and the morally grey and complex characters you can’t help but root for!”

Girma said: “To bring a wave of such unapologetic Blackness to vampires is such a joy. I’ve always wanted a vampire to fall for the Black girl, fight for her, kill for her. Our main character is raw and twisted yet loved. It’s a story about seeing the worst parts of someone first and still loving them, to glimpse the monster before the human."

Terlip commented: "After sinking into Tigest’s masterful prose, I knew this book was special. She’s woven together an unputdownable tale of murder, betrayal, and the power of love (even when you are at your worst). I can’t wait for the world to read it!"