Orion Fiction lands two-book deal with Judy Murray

Orion Fiction has secured a two-book deal, including The Wild Card, from debut novelist and former international tennis player Judy Murray. 

Charlotte Mursell, editorial director, acquired world all language rights from Kerr MacRae at Kerr MacRae LPA. The Wild Card will be published in hardback, e-book and audio in summer 2023. 

"Judy is one of the most inspirational people I have met, a natural storyteller and has lived a life full of new experiences and achievements," said MacRae. 

Murray has 64 national titles to her name and in 1995 became the Scottish National Coach. Alongside her tennis and coaching achievements, Murray was a contestant on "Strictly Come Dancing" in 2014, a Costa Book Award judge in 2021 and will make her debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. 

The Wild Card is a "fresh, uplifting" story about how it is never too late to follow your dreams, following Abigail Patterson who, after putting her tennis career on hold, finds herself entered into the country’s biggest tennis championship as a wild card entry. However, her success in the competition means that is only a matter of time before the press start uncovering the secret Abi has kept hidden for so long.  

Mursell commented: "I am so thrilled to be publishing Judy Murray’s brilliant debut at Orion Fiction. Full of twists, turns, (and tennis), The Wild Card is a brilliantly feel-good tale of second chances and chasing forgotten dreams. Perfect, escapist holiday reading this is going to be one of the hits of the summer next year — best read with a punnet of strawberries and cream!"

Murray added: "If I hadn’t been a tennis coach, I think I would have become a writer or an editor so I’m thrilled to bits to be working with the fabulous team at Orion on my first fiction book. It’s a tale of triumph over adversity and it’s set within a major event in the tennis calendar."