Piccadilly Press seizes Bond’s mythological middle-grade series in major six-figure deal

Piccadilly Press has triumphed in a five-way auction for début author Ash Bond’s middle-grade mythological series, securing Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm and two other books in a major six-figure deal. 

Senior commissioning editor Ruth Bennett acquired world English rights in print, e-book and audio for the Peregrine Quinn series for readers aged eight to 12 from Jessica Hare at The Agency.

The opening pages of Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm won first place at the Winchester Writers’ Festival and Bond was runner up for the New Writers Prize and longlisted for Write Mentor’s and Guppy Books’ competitions. Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm will be publishing in hardback in spring 2024.

The publisher describes it as an “edge-of-your-seat race between worlds as Peregrine is swept into an adventure of immortal proportions”.

Bond said: “The fantastical world of Peregrine Quinn has been brewing for years, and it is a giddy dream to finally introduce readers to this very weird and very wonderful adventure through the three realms. When deciding on a home for Peregrine, it was very important for Jessica and I to find an editor that understood both the madcap humour and the emotional undercurrent of the story. When we met with Ruth at Piccadilly Press she asked me questions that really pulled at the book’s heart strings, and we both came away knowing that something very magical had just happened.”

Bennett said: “Every once in a while, a submission lands in your inbox that makes you drop everything and lose yourself in a fantastically imagined world. It’s a rare kind of magic, but that is exactly what happened when I started reading Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm."

Helen Wicks, managing director of children’s trade, added: “This thrilling foray into the middle-grade fantasy space sets the agenda for the scope and ambition of Piccadilly Press’ publishing in the years to come.”

Hare commented: “It is a joy working with Ash who weaves the rich heritage of classical mythology, which I have always been fascinated by, into her stories with the lightest of touches – it is hard to believe that Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm is her début.”