Headline snaps up debut novel from Minchin

Headline has snapped up the debut novel from broadcaster and journalist Louise Minchin, Isolation Island. 

Lucy Dauman, deputy publishing director, acquired world rights from Elly James at HHB Agency. Headline will publish as a lead title in September 2024. 

Isolation Island takes place on a remote island off the coast of Scotland, where 10 celebrities have arrived in the depths of winter to take part in the most gruelling – and lucrative – reality survival show ever devised. With a production team that seems incapable of keeping them safe, a gathering storm and the unrelenting gaze of hidden cameras, the contestants are pushed to the edge as they try and outshine their fellow competitors and hide their darkest secrets. But when a contestant winds up dead, it soon becomes clear that they’re not just fighting for the prize, but for their lives. 

Dauman said: “From the moment I read the opening scene of Isolation Island, I was hooked. Through Louise’s protagonist Lauren’s eyes we are plunged into the disturbing world of ‘survival’ reality TV, where people are stretched to their limits in the name of entertainment. Add to that a wonderfully atmospheric setting, a thrilling murder mystery and a brilliantly realised cast of characters, each with their own secret to hide, and it was clear this was a book we absolutely had to publish. Louise’s insider knowledge and flair for storytelling shines through the pages, and I know both her fans and lovers of thrillers everywhere will absolutely devour Isolation Island.”

Minchin added: “I am a massive fan of thrillers, having grown up reading Daphne du Maurier and Agatha Christie. I always wanted to create one of my own with a feisty female hero thrown into an intense and dangerous environment. What could be better than a reality TV show set in a derelict monastery on a remote Scottish Island with a violent storm heading its way? I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I have loved writing it.” 

Minchin has also written two non-fiction books, Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women and Dare to Tri: My Journey from the BBC Breakfast Sofa to GB Team Triathlete (both Bloomsbury Sport). She was chair of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023.