Headline Review wins 'suspenseful' Ellie Levenson novel in five-way auction

Headline Review has won the rights to Room 706, the debut novel from journalism lecturer Ellie Levenson, in a five-way auction.

Fiction publishing director Jennifer Doyle acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown. Room 706 will be published as a lead title on the Headline Review imprint in early 2026.

Lexy Cassola at Sarah Jessica Parker Lit (SJP Lit) won North American rights at auction from Sarah Fuentes at United Talent Agency, on behalf of Blunt. Translation rights have been sold in a mixture of pre-empts and auctions to Hungary, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Romania and Spain.

The synopsis reads: “When mother of two Kate goes to meet her lover James in a hotel room, she watches in horror when she switches on the TV and realises their hotel has been taken under terrorist siege. Told to stay silent and hidden, Kate is trapped in a room with a man she’s been having an affair with for years – her escape hatch, her release valve – but who she doesn’t really know at all.

“In one room, with the possibility of death looming, Kate is left to contemplate what has led her here. She reflects on the grief and heartbreak of her young life, the complexities of her relationship with her husband, Vic, and the pure, unadulterated love she feels for her children. Intricately weaving Kate’s past in with her present, Room 706 follows one woman taking stock of her life, and considering what life might hold in store – if she makes it home."

Levenson is a former journalist and now lectures in journalism at Goldsmiths, University of London. She said: “I am so thrilled to be working with Jennifer and her colleagues at Headline on my debut novel. The book examines the unintended consequences of one woman’s choices, and to bring it to publication with such an inspiring and enthusiastic team is a huge privilege.”

Doyle said: “I’m thrilled to have brought Room 706 to Headline. Ellie is such a talented writer, and I was immediately immersed in Kate’s story, both the unfolding situation in the hotel room she finds herself trapped in, and the moving backstory that comes to life as she asks herself what brought her there. Ellie is not afraid to ask the difficult questions in this relatable, suspenseful and thought-provoking reading group novel that asks what we really want out of life and why we might make the decisions we do.”

Blunt added: “Room 706 is as much a meditation on marriage and womanhood as it is a masterful piece of page-turning suspense. I couldn’t be more excited to see it published by Headline and Jen’s team.”