Penguin Michael Joseph nets Discovery Prize longlistee Ford’s ‘heartwarming’ début and one other

Penguin Michael Joseph has acquired Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame, the “heartwarming and uplifting” début novel, and a second untitled novel, from début author Olivia Ford.

Senior commissioning editor Rebecca Hilsdon pre-empted world rights from Lucy Morris at Curtis Brown, and hot off the back of the UK deal the PRH rights team agreed “major“ two-book pre-empts in the US and Germany, an Italian pre-empt to Corbaccio, Croatian rights to Znanje and Spanish rights under offer, with “a glut” of further deals expected.

Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame, scheduled for release in hardback and e-book in early 2024, follows 77-year-old Jennifer Quinn, who wins a spot as a contestant on primetime TV show “Britain Bakes”. After being whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, a secret from her past begins to resurface.

Hilsdon said: “I instantly fell in love with Jennifer, Bernie and every page of this beautifully written novel. This book is an ode to love, friendship, family and, of course, cake. It’s a celebration of growing older and how we preserve memories through recipes. It is the perfect coming-of-old-age tale. Olivia is an incredible talent, and we are so thrilled to be welcoming her to PMJ.”

The opening chapters of Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame were longlisted for the 2021 Discoveries Prize, launched by the Women’s Prize Trust in partnership with Curtis Brown, Curtis Brown Creative and NatWest to offer aspiring female authors support at the start of their writing journeys. Ford was one of the 16 writers longlisted in the inaugural programme, selected by a judging panel that included authors Kate Mosse and Abi Daré.

Ford said: “I am very close to my grandparents and the novel was, at its heart, inspired by their relationship; both the joy and fragility of a lifelong love. That, and those precious family recipes that outlive even the people who wrote them! Working with my agent Lucy Morris to tell Jennifer Quinn’s story has been the greatest privilege, and I am overjoyed that it has found such a wonderful home in Penguin Michael Joseph with Rebecca.”

Morris describes the novel as “a triumph” and “a celebration of longevity with an unforgettable heroine.” “I am thrilled that Olivia has found such a passionate publishing team in Rebecca and PMJ,” she said.