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Penguin Michael Joseph has snapped up a "spellbinding sapphic fantasy" series by Emma MacDonald. The novel Whispers Most Foul will be the first in a two-book series set in Dunhollow Academy, where "magic and status mean the world, and deadly whispers haunt every corridor".
Senior editor Ruth Atkins and assistant editor Jorgie Bain bought UK and Commonwealth rights for Whispers Most Foul and one other novel from Emma MacDonald, represented by Nina Leon at Pérez Literary & Entertainment. The first book will be published in October 2024, followed by its sequel, Whispers Most Deadly, in autumn 2025.
"Whispers Most Foul brings a paranormal queer love story and a thrilling mystery to the elite and enchanting halls of Dunhollow Academy of Witchcraft," the synopsis says. "Rose Thenlif, an outcast for her inability to cast spells, keeps her head in books, away from the sneers of her talented but insufferable academic rival Sylvie. But when classmates begin to disappear, Rose discovers that she alone can see their ghosts — and when Sylvie becomes Rose’s latest ghostly vision, the reluctant pair must team up to uncover the deadly mystery that lies at the heart of Dunhollow, before time runs out. But are either prepared to face the most haunting of secrets, one buried deep in both their hearts?"
MacDonald said: "At its heart, this story is about finding light and love in the darkest places. It also pays homage to my passion for all things spooky, magical, and queer. I created the world of Dunhollow to give myself a place where I could feel seen and accepted. I hope that anyone who reads this story feels as I do."
Leon added: "Emma’s writing is sure to see readers transported to the dark, magical corridors of Dunhollow Academy, as well as feeling represented by the characters causing mischief there. With haunting narratives, a sapphic romance, and endless magic, readers have a lot to look forward to."
Atkins and Bain commented: "We were utterly bewitched by the world Emma has created in Dunhollow Academy, a grown-up magical academy where behind every charmed book, and moody professor, dark secrets and eerie mysteries are waiting. But more than that, in Rose and Sylvie’s entrancing enemies-to-lovers romance she has given us two utterly unforgettable female characters, and a love that takes them to the edge of life and death."