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Penguin Life buys Middleton's work on ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence
Penguin Life has bought Ellie Middleton’s book Unmasked, in which she explores ADHD, autism and neurodivergence.
Commissioning editor Amy McWalters acquired world rights in the book from Rachel Mills at Rachel Mills Literary, and will be publishing it on 26th October, during National ADHD Awareness Month.
Middleton is an activist, speaker and writer committed to empowering neurodivergent people to thrive in and outside of the workplace. She is the founder of (un)masked, a community for those with neurodivergent conditions, and has run inclusivity workshops at global corporations including Google, Budweiser and Tinder.
Unmasked: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence is a part-memoir, part-guide. In it, Middleton shares how she used to think she was "broken, a bad person incapable of fitting in or holding down a job", until she received ADHD and autism diagnoses at 24.
The author has since been working to change the way we think about neurodivergence. In Unmasked, the synopsis said, "she helps readers make sense of it all, whether you are neurodivergent, suspect you might be, or want to be a better ally".
McWalters commented: "I had been searching for the perfect book about neurodivergence for some time but when Ellie’s came across my desk, I knew it was the one. Her undeniable talent, warmth and passion shine through every page and I know that it will have an immeasurable impact on readers’ lives – myself and all the team at Penguin Life feel very privileged to be working with her."
Middleton added: "I’m so incredibly grateful that Penguin Life are centering the conversation on neurodivergence and late diagnosis, let alone that they’re trusting me to be the voice to do that! I’m so excited to have the space to add nuance to the work I’ve done so far, and to dig deeper into my story as well as raising the voices of other members of the community."
