Piccadilly Press signs Smart's debut move to middle-grade 'monstrous' fantasy adventure series 

Piccadilly Press has signed Ciannon Smart’s debut move to middle-grade fiction with a “monstrous” fantasy adventure series 

Ella Whiddett, commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth English language rights to two books from Suzie Townsend and Sophia Ramos at NewLeaf Literary. Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters will be published in paperback, e-book and audio on 26th September 2023, followed by the second instalment in September 2024. 

The first book follows notorious troublemaker Rayleigh Mann as he discovers that the father he never knew is actually the Bogey Mann, the most terrifying of all monsters, the Supreme Scarer himself – but he’s missing. Whisked away to find Bogey, Rayleigh travels to Below London, the magical home of monsters, on an adventure straight out of his wildest dreams – or perhaps his most terrifying nightmares. 

Smart said: “Cheeky and daring, Rayleigh Mann is never short of trouble, or an amazing pair of trainers. I hope his story, set in a monstrous London not unlike ours, gives readers a new reason to check underneath their beds.” 

Whiddett added: “We are so excited to be working with Ciannon on her middle-grade debut where the bad guys are really the good guys! I have been totally swept away by the world of Below London and Ciannon’s masterfully imaginative, escapist and funny storytelling, and know many young readers will be too.”