Hot Key Books strikes fresh deal with Deirdre Sullivan

Hot Key Books has bought a sequel to Deirdre Sullivan's Irish gothic YA thriller Perfectly Preventable Deaths.

Perfectly Preventable Deaths was optioned for television, by Working Title TV in a deal negotiated by Sheila David at the Darley Anderson Literary Agency, and it was shortlisted for the 2019 Irish Book Awards. Her collection of dark fairy-tale retellings, Tangleweed and Brine, won the Irish Book Award for Best Young Adult Book of the Year in 2017.

Hot Key Books has now snapped up a sequel to Perfectly Preventable Deaths and a further YA standalone. World rights were negotiated by Georgia Murray, commissioning editor, Bonnier Books UK, with Clare Wallace at the Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency. Rights have sold to North America (Tangleweed Press), Poland (IUVI) and Spain (La Gallera).

Murray said she couldn't wait to bring Sullivan's "dark, lyrical and honest stories to an even greater readership" and "to see this author reach the stellar heights she deserves".

Sullivan said: "I’m delighted to be returning to Ballyfrann, and for the opportunity to tell the story I’ve been planning since draft one of Perfectly Preventable Deaths. Aside from that it’s an utter joy to know I’ll be working with Georgia and the rest of the Hot Key team! Their investment in my voice and faith in the stories I want to tell means the world."