Pan Mac reveals surprise 'globe-spanning drama' from Ken Follett

Pan Macmillan is bringing out a surprise novel from Ken Follett later this year, said to be a "knock-out read" and a new departure for the bestselling author.

Entitled Never, the book is described by New York publisher Viking Penguin as “more than a thriller, an action-packed, globe-spanning drama set in the present day”.

The new novel, which was unexpected and comes hot on the heels of last September's The Evening and the Morning (Pan Macmillan), takes Follett's writing in a different direction, Pan Macmillan said.

UK and Commonwealth rights were acquired by Pan Macmillan publisher Jeremy Trevathan from Barbara Follett at The Follett Office. Never will be published on 9th November in the US and the UK, with other countries publishing on the same day or soon after. Further details of the book will be announced in April.

Follett said: "I’m pleased and flattered that my publishers are so excited by Never that they can’t wait to bring it out."

Trevathan said: “A new novel by Ken Follett is always a significant event in the world of book lovers, but a new book by Ken Follett that takes his epic storytelling skills in a new and exciting direction is, simply put, thrilling. I can't wait for readers to discover what Ken has been working on these last few years. It's a triumph.”

The author's previous books have sold more than 170 million copies in over 80 countries and in 33 languages, according to the publisher.  Through Nielsen BookScan, he has sold 3.2 million books for £23.5m in the UK. Most recent novel The Evening and the Morning (Pan Macmillan) has sold 57,976 copies in hardback since September, excluding lockdown-era sales.

Brian Tart, president of Viking, said: “Ken Follett ushered in the modern thriller with Eye of the Needle and The Key to Rebecca. He reinvigorated the historical epic with Pillars of the Earth and, most recently, The Evening and the Morning. With Never, he combines the thrilling, can’t-stop-reading pace of his thrillers with the character-driven, deeply researched verisimilitude of his historical epics. It’s a knock-out read that will leave readers breathless by the end.”