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David Fickling Books has bought Girl on the Fly, the first middle-grade novel from Ugandan-American author Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl.
Rosie Fickling, commissioning editor, acquired world rights from Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary.
The book is set in 1992 Philadelphia and follows Kamaria Kessy, who is 13, independent, confident and loving life. But then she falls out with her best friend, Odie, and has no idea how to talk to him about it and her Tanzanian aunty becomes her new roommate.
Fickling said of Girl on the Fly: “In my first meeting with Nansu she told me that she wanted to write a book that brought joy and if I hadn’t been sold already on her incredible characters and vibrant writing, I was in that very moment. It celebrates true female friendship, rich family roots and a sprinkling of first love, all with the fresh and uplifting beat of the ’90s in the background."
Isdahl, who is based in Tanzania, said: “I’m so pleased to bring Girl on the Fly to young readers, especially with David Fickling Books, whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with before and who produce such an array of new classics and contemporary titles. I’m excited about this story because it not only shines a light on the inevitable tangles of girlhood, but it also celebrates the exuberance and the merry-making of that pivotal time.”
Isdahl is the author of Nelson and Beyoncé, both part of DFB’s First Names Series and she has written two award-winning picture books.
The Ugandan-American author is also a global health writer working at the intersections of health, gender, and climate change in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and the Pacific. She has consulted for a range of UN agencies and NGOs including the World Bank and UNICEF.