Little Tiger snaps up Eve Wersocki Morris' 'rollicking' new middle-grade series

Little Tiger has snapped up Eve Wersocki Morris’ Clem Fatale, billed as “a rollicking new middle-grade series full of madcap escapades, fast-talking dames and unlikely heroes". 

Senior commissioning editor Mattie Whitehead acquired world English language rights in a two-book deal from Louise Lamont at LBA. The first book in the series will be published in April 2025, with book two following in January 2026. 

Wersocki Morris is a former Bookseller Rising Star. Last year she set up her own specialist PR consultancy, EWM PR, after working as senior publicity manager at Simon & Schuster Children’s Books. 

Clem Fatale is set in London in 1951. “Clem Fatale, the youngest crook in the city, is on a mission to find her dad. Jimmy Fatale, notorious jewel thief and leader of the Spider Gang, has gone missing and with him the greatest prize in London: the Fool’s Canary,” the synopsis says. 

“Along with her prisoner and/or sidekick Gilbert (depends who you’re asking), Clem sets off on a rip-roaring chase through the London underworld. Racing through dodgy dives, glamorous nightclubs, greasy spoons and secret alleyways, Clem and Gilbert are soon pursued by a host of friends and foes. 

“Will Clem find her father in time? Or will the most sinister villain this side of the river put a stop to all her plans?” 

Whitehead said: “I have had the BEST time joining Clem on her adventures. Eve’s writing is pacy and it sparkles – readers will be on the edge of their seat with smiles on their faces as they race through the city streets. The combination of the post-war setting (and the often-overlooked international communities in London at the time), the found family elements and Robin Hood vibes, alongside a feisty protagonist is really exciting. We can’t wait for readers to meet Clem!” 

Wersocki Morris said: “I am pleased as plum pudding to be working with Mattie and the Little Tiger team – they are the perfect gang to bring Clem Fatale to young readers. I grew up on noir thrillers and screwball comedies of the 1940s and 1950s and Clem Fatale is my homage to these quick-talking, fast-paced, stylish adventures. This has been such a fun series to write and I hope people have fun reading it! So get ready for gormless gangsters, hair-raising chases and a heroine who ain’t letting nothing stand in her way.”