Orion waltzes off with four from Anton Du Beke

Orion Fiction has secured four new books from "Strictly Come Dancing" judge Anton Du Beke. 

Deputy m.d. Sarah Benton negotiated world rights from Kerr MacRae, at Kerr MacRae LPA and talent agent Melissa Chappell at I Will Know Someone. Sam Eades, publishing director at Orion Fiction, will publish du Beke when she returns from parental leave in January 2022. The deal will see Orion publish a further two new books in the existing Buckingham Hotel series and two books in a new series.  

The Ballroom Blitz, Du Beke’s first novel for Orion in the series, will be published in autumn 2022 as one of its super leads. He previously published novels with Zaffre including One Enchanted Evening. Having been on "Strictly Come Dancing" since its inception as a dancer, his profile rose further after he joined the judging panel this autumn. 

Eades said: “I’m thrilled to be welcoming national treasure Anton Du Beke to the Orion Fiction list. In The Ballroom Blitz star performer Raymond de Guise returns as a civilian to bomb-ravaged London, torn apart by duty to his family and his country. Alongside the bestselling Buckingham Hotel series, we will also be launching a second new series, taking Anton to the very top of the leaderboard as a Sunday Times bestseller. Anton is a born storyteller, and I couldn’t be prouder to work with him and his team.” 

Benton said: “It is a delight to be welcoming Anton Du Beke to Orion. There is so much potential in his writing and the whole team have such a clear and ambitious vision to take his fiction to new heights and they cannot wait to get started."

Du Beke said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Orion to publish the next in the Buckingham Hotel series and to launch an exciting new series. I’m incredibly proud of my journey so far as an author and the success of my bestselling novels. I can’t wait to get working with their marvellous team to bring new characters and new stories to my amazing readers."