Orbit scoops ‘spine-tingling’ gothic historical horror from debut author Pullen

Orbit has scooped Nicholas Pullen’s debut historical horror The Black Hunger, described as “a sprawling and chilling journey into the heart of gothic horror, perfect for fans of The Historian (Little, Brown), Laura Purcell and Victorian supernatural fiction".

Natasha Mihell at The Rights Factory sold world English rights in The Black Hunger and a further standalone novel to commissioning editor Nadia Saward at Orbit, Little, Brown Book Group. Senior editor Bradley Englert has acquired for Orbit US and simultaneous publication is planned for autumn 2024.

Saward said: “Nicholas Pullen has crafted a gothic masterpiece that is at once an unsettling, sinister horror and a heartrending romance with a blistering end that still has me reeling. It’s perfect for readers who became addicted to ‘Dracula Daily’ [a free subscription newsletter that sends the 1897 novel Dracula to subscribers via email].”

Pullen said: “In Orbit, The Black Hunger has found the perfect home and in Nadia Saward and Bradley Englert it has found its perfect editors. I couldn’t be more excited to work with both Nadia and Bradley and am profoundly grateful to Orbit for bringing The Black Hunger to the world. Here we go!”

Mihell added: “The first time The Black Hunger gave me nightmares, I knew I had found something, and someone, special. Pullen’s erudite blend of the historical and the horrifying creates an enticingly rich, cosmically dark tale, shimmering with queer splendour. Captivating, adrenaline-inducing and constructed with industrious care, The Black Hunger is one of those books you feel smarter for having read and one that promises to linger in your mind long after you’ve finished reading it. An exceptional harnessing of madness—and one wild ride.”