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Headline takes two from O'Flanagan
Headline has secured a two-book deal with Sheila O’Flanagan, beginning with The Woman on the Bridge.
Executive publisher Marion Donaldson acquired world English rights from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann. The Woman on the Bridge is slated for publication in April 2023 with the untitled second novel following in 2024.
The Woman on the Bridge is O’Flanagan’s first historical novel set in Dublin during the Irish War of Independence in the years following the First World War and is inspired by her grandmother. The second untitled book will be a contemporary tale "in the tradition of What Eden Did Next" which was published by Headline in April 2022.
"I’m so delighted that we have two new Sheila O’Flanagan novels to look forward to," commented Donaldson. "Earlier this year we hosted a celebration with Sheila in Dublin of 30 bestsellers, something only a handful of authors are in a position to do. It’s an honour as well as a pleasure to publish Sheila’s brilliantly crafted and thought provoking books, and it’s no surprise that Sheila’s first historical novel is every bit as polished, engaging and memorable as her contemporary novels have been. I can’t wait to bring The Woman on the Bridge to the market next year."
O’Flanagan added: "I’m very excited to know that I will be publishing two more novels with Headline, my publishers for most of my writing life. It’s a tribute to their thoughtful work with all my books that my career has been longer than I ever imagined. I’m particularly pleased that The Woman on the Bridge, a deeply personal book inspired by stories my grandmother told me of her own life during turbulent times, will be published next year. I hope readers will enjoy the journey into the past with me."
Dixon said: "In an already celebratory and bestselling year for Sheila O’Flanagan this new deal is another landmark cause for celebration – the promise of another contemporary novel to delight O’Flanagan fans around the world, but with Sheila also breaking fresh ground with her first historical novel, The Woman on the Bridge, starring a spirited heroine based on her own family history."
