Piccadilly Press buys Garth Nix novel

Bonnier Publishing imprint Piccadilly Press has bought the UK rights to a middle-grade novel by Garth Nix.

Frogkisser!, which will be published in spring 2017, is a “wry” take on the fairy tale about a princess kissing a frog. Nix said the story is “one of those novels that just bubble out of the imagination and demand to be written all at once and won't permit anything else to get in the way”.

Emma Matthewson, publishing director for children’s fiction, acquired the UK and Commonwealth volume rights, including audio and e-book (excluding Canada and ANZ) from Antony Harwood of Antony Harwood Limited, in association with Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

“Frogkisser! is a wonderfully warm and funny tale brimming with humour, and races along with Garth’s impeccable storytelling, “ said Matthewson. “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to publish this younger fiction from Garth on the Piccadilly Press list, alongside his Old Kingdom titles on the Hot Key list.”

Piccadilly Press will publish simultaneously with Allen and Unwin in Australia and New Zealand, and Scholastic in the US.