Piccadilly Press scoops Clayton’s series after author tweets about lack of UK publisher interest

Piccadilly Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired all four books in Dhonielle Clayton’s The Marvellers series after the author tweeted that she was disappointed the series had not been picked up by any UK publishers.

Senior commissioning editor Ruth Bennett acquired UK and Commonwealth print, digital and audio rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, for the middle-grade series from Macmillan US.

The deal came after Clayton was asked by British Book Award-winning illustrator Dapo Adeola on Twitter when the series would be available in the UK. She responded: "Well, sadly, all the UK publishers turned it down because they have their have their ONE Black MG [middle-grade] fantasy book already and some also said the one Black MG fantasy they bought ‘didn’t perform’.”

The Marvellers, Clayton’s middle-grade debut and the first book in the series, will be published in the UK on 5th January 2023 in paperback, e-book and audio. Piccadilly Press will publish the second book simultaneously with in the US in September 2023.

Already published in the US, The Marvellers is the first book in a fantasy adventure series set in a magic school in the sky. The characters and world are “gorgeously imagined” through Khadijah Khatib’s cover artwork and internal illustrations.

The publisher’s synopsis reads: “Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Institute for Marvelous & Uncanny Endeavors, a magic school in the clouds for Marvellers from around the world. 

“Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy, but she finds friendship with fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic; and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures; and support from her Elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur. 

“Then Ella finds herself accused of a terrible crime and worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family’s name and track down her mentor before it’s too late.”

Bennett said: “In The Marvellers, Dhonielle has created a fantasy adventure of scope and ambition, drawing on both the world around us and her boundless imaginative powers. 

“This book will captivate readers and show them the joy of being swept away by a story. I cannot wait for young people to explore the magic school in the sky with Ella, to hold their breath as she faces grave danger and – above all – to fall in love with this wondrous world, as I have done. And with further books to come, Dhonielle shows that for the Marvellers, the sky is not even the limit!”

Clayton said: “I’m thrilled that The Marvellers has found a home in the UK with the amazing Ruth Bennett at Bonnier Books UK. I’d lost hope, thinking the UK didn’t have room for a new magic school, and that the Arcanum Institute for Marvelous & Uncanny Endeavors wouldn’t get a chance to open its sky-doors for young British readers. 

“Now, I’m so excited to invite UK readers into the Marvellerverse, a magical universe full of young people from all over the world who can do extraordinary things. Welcome to the future of magic school. I hope you come to call it home.”

Macmillian US added: “Macmillan US are so pleased to be partnering with Piccadilly Press as there is much more to come in this magnificent world Dhonielle has created.”

Clayton is the author of several other books and a former secondary school teacher, as well as a former elementary and middle school librarian. She is chief operating officer of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books, and president of Cake Creative, an IP story kitchen dedicated to diverse books for all ages.