Owlet swoops in for spellbinding picture book debut from former 'Bake Off' contestant Garcia

Owlet Press has picked up a My Mummy Is a Witch, a picture book by former "Great British Bake Off" contestant Helena Garcia. 

Sam Langley-Swain, founder of the press, secured worldwide publishing rights from agent Vivienne Clore. The book, entitled My Mummy is a Witch, will be illustrated by Jess Rose, who is represented by Plum Pudding Agency.

Following her success on "Bake Off", Garcia published two adult non-fiction titles, The Wicked Baker and The Witch-Crafting Handbook (both Quadrille). She has developed her own design-led brand "Witches by Helena Garcia", which offers home accessories and fashion products for "the modern witch".

My Mummy is a Witch will be her first children’s book. A rhyming story celebrating the love between a mother and daughter, with a fantasy twist, the story is narrated by a young girl who describes all the things she does with her mum throughout the day and explains how they make memories together.

"The perception of witches has been skewed throughout history and this book seems like a fantastic opportunity to show the loving and joyful aspects of witching culture," Garcia said. "I was keen to work with Owlet Press because I knew as a smaller publisher, they’d be collaborative and help realise my vision to bring magic to a younger audience."

An up-and-coming talent, illustrator Rose is signed for three titles with Owlet Press, including two picture books as author and illustrator, starting with No Home for a Ghost in October 2022, and a second title, Pip, about an eco-conscious pigeon, in spring 2023.

My Mummy is a Witch will be published in hardback in April 2023, with a paperback to follow in October 2023 for Halloween.