John Blake signs memoir of Peru Two prisoner McCollum

Bonnier imprint John Blake has signed the memoir of Michaella McCollum, one of the “Peru Two” who were imprisoned for attempting to smuggle 11kg of cocaine from Lima to Madrid.

Ciara Lloyd, senior editor, acquired world English rights from David Riding at MBA Literary Agency. You’ll Never See Daylight Again will be published on trade paperback on 31st October.

Its synopsis states: “You’ll Never See Daylight Again tells Michaella’s amazing true story in her own words: of how she fled to Ibiza aged 19 to escape a past blighted by sectarian and domestic violence – only to find that the bars and clubs of the party island held its own dangers. When approached by a man promising quick, easy money, Michaella made a decision that would change her life forever. You’ll Never See Daylight Again is a brilliantly affecting and redemptive tale of a naïve young girl who comes of age in the dark heart of a Peruvian jail.”

McCollum, of Dungannon, Northern Ireland, was locked up in a South American jail for almost three years after being convicted with friend Melissa Reid.

McCollum said: “I want you all to know what truly happened to me – the trauma and near-death conditions I lived in for nearly three years. Some people think I got off lightly, but I hope my story will show how one bad choice turned my life upside down and if it stops just one person making the same choice, I will be happy I have shared it.”

Lloyd added: “Most people will have heard of Michaella McCollum and think they know her, but no-one really knows the true story of how she became imprisoned in one of the deadliest prisons in Peru. Drug dealers, psychotic inmates and filthy living conditions, it’s hard to imagine how any nineteen year old girl would cope. But not only did Michaella survive, she came out stronger and is finally ready to tell her story. I’m really proud to be publishing this book and to give Michaella the platform she deserves.”