Harrold and Gravett team up for The Afterwards

Emily Gravett has signed up to illustrate A F Harrold’s new novel, The Afterwards (Bloomsbury Children’s).

The book, set for publication in November, is about best friends Ember and Ness. When Ness dies, Ember finds a way into the Afterworld because she is determined to bring her friend back.

Gravett, who previously worked with Harrold on The Imaginary, said: “When I read The Afterwards I didn’t think twice about illustrating it. It is such a beautifully written book, and it made me cry. It’s a real honour to illustrate something for an author who can confront loss and emotion from a child’s perspective, but still create an exciting story that carries you with it.”

Zöe Griffiths acquired world rights to the illustrations directly from Gravett having earlier acquired world rights to the text directly from A F Harrold.