Pan takes two more Chocolate Girls books from Murray

Pan Macmillan has signed two new books in the Chocolate Girls series from saga writer Annie Murray.

Publishing director Trisha Jackson acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Darley Anderson at the Darley Anderson Literary Agency. The new titles are set to be published in 2022 and 2023 respectively, and will continue the series set around Birmingham’s Cadbury Bournville factory during the Second World War.

Jackson said: “I’m delighted that we have two new titles from Annie continuing our long and happy partnership. Chocolate Girls has now sold 100,000 copies and so it is particularly exciting to continue their stories in these two new books.”

Murray's first Birmingham story, Birmingham Rose, hit the Sunday Times bestseller list when it was published in 1995. She has subsequently written many other successful novels, including Chocolate Girls (Pan) and War Babies (Pan). Her forthcoming novel, Black Country Orphan (Pan), publishing in spring 2021, will be her 26th.

Murray added: “I am very happy to be continuing in the very positive working relationship developed over many years with Pan Macmillan. Also to be revisiting Cadburys, Bournville, for two more stories set during the intense, high adrenalin years of the Second World War. I used to live close to the Cadbury factory amid the smell of chocolate and the area is dear to my heart – as to many other people’s’.”

Anderson commented: “Annie is a much loved author. And Chocolate Girls has always been one of her most popular novels. So it’s really great news for her many fans that she is now going to write two more novels based around a Cadbury’s factory.”