Hodderscape pre-empts two ‘delightful’ cosy fantasy novels by Leong

Hodderscape has pre-empted two cosy fantasy novels by debut author Julie Leong. 

Publishing director Molly Powell acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Teller of Small Fortunes and a second fantasy from Hellie Ogden while at Janklow & Nesbit UK and Paul Lucas at Janklow & Nesbit. Hodderscape will publish the first simultaneously with US publisher Berkley Books, a Penguin Random House imprint, in November 2024. 

The Teller of Small Fortunes is a cosy fantasy novel about trying to find yourself – and finding a family instead. It follows Tao, an immigrant fortune teller, who travels between villages telling small fortunes, until she teams up with a baker, a reformed thief, an ex-mercenary and (of course) a cat in the hunt for a lost child.

Powell said: “The Teller of Small Fortunes really does feel like reading a hug in a book. It’s a gentle, delightful, and brilliantly cosy story about finding acceptance, love, and family where you least expect it. Low stakes, high feelings, this is pitch-perfect escapism, and every time I read it, I fall just a little bit more in love.”

Leong said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that The Teller of Small Fortunes has found a home in the UK with Hodderscape. It’s a dream to work with Molly and the rest of the team, and I’m so grateful to have such wonderful champions for my debut. Writing this tale of magic, friendship, and belonging brought me joy and comfort when I needed it most – and it means the world to me to be able to share Tao’s story with readers who might need a little bit of the same, too.” 

Leong is a Malaysian Chinese American fantasy author and startup executive. She grew up in New Jersey and also lived in Beijing, China, for several years. She graduated from Yale University with degrees in Economics and Political Science and currently lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and rescue puppy.