Picture book for families of dementia sufferers signed by Egmont

Egmont has acquired a picture book aimed at helping young children understand dementia or memory loss in elderly relatives.

Publishing director Melissa Fairley signed the deal for world rights in all languages for The Forgettery by Rachel Ip and illustrated by Laura Hughes. The deal was brokered by Lydia Silver on behalf of Clare Wallace at Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency and Arabella Stein at The Bright Agency for illustration. The book will be published in August 2020.

According to the publisher: “The Forgettery invites pre-schoolers to enter a warm, atmospheric world whilst simultaneously offering comfort to families affected by ­­dementia.”

Fairley said: “The World Health Organisation puts the number of people who have dementia at nearly 50 million worldwide so opening up conversations about this challenging topic has never been more important. The Forgettery can be enjoyed as an adventure story where a grandmother and granddaughter explore a fantastical world where memories can be rediscovered as well as newly made.”

Ip added: “I’m delighted to be working with the wonderful team at Egmont and thrilled that The Forgettery is being illustrated by Laura Hughes. The Forgettery is a story about love and family. It’s about remembering and treasuring our strongest and most precious memories and making new ones together. For some families, I hope The Forgettery can be a small bridge to discuss big topics of memory loss and dementia with young children at home.”

Ip’s debut The Last Garden was announced earlier this year and will be published by Hachette imprint Hodder Children’s Books also in 2020. Hughes won the Oscar's Book Prize 2018 for There's a Pig up my Nose (Egmont).