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Puffin acquires 'gripping survival tale' from 'luminous' new author Brogen Murphy
Puffin has acquired the rights to a "gripping survival tale" from Brogen Murphy. World all-languages rights to Wildlands were negotiated in a two-book deal by Penguin Random House Children’s editorial director Linas Alsenas and Penny Holroyde at Holroyde Cartey Limited.
Wildlands will be published in paperback, e-book, and audiobook on 6th March 2025. Puffin will be featuring Wildlands at the Frankfurt Book Fair this month.
The synopsis states: "Twenty-five years into the future, no humans are allowed in the Wildlands – a vast area in Britain where wolves, lynx and bison roam free. The only exception is a high-speed train line between London and Glasgow that crosses right through the heart of the project.
"Thirteen-year-old Astrid and her little sister, Indie, are onboard when their train slows to a brief, unexpected stop… and they find themselves accidentally left behind. Stranded in this place full of astonishing natural wonders and terrible dangers, they have only a rucksack, a phone without signal – and each other. As every wrong turn takes them deeper into the Wildlands, do they have the ingenuity and determination to survive?"
Murphy has a degree in Zoology from the University of Cambridge and has spent 15 years promoting clean technologies.
Murphy said: “The idea for this book first came to me on a long train ride to Scotland. I had a sudden vision of being in the future – on a sleek, high-speed train running through a much wilder landscape. In that vision, I heard an imaginary announcement: ’We are now entering the Wildlands.’ I spent the rest of my journey wondering, what could this ‘Wildlands’ be? Who might be riding on that futuristic train? And what might happen to them?
"I believe that we shape our world from the stories we tell about it. Wildlands paints a picture of a near-future I’d be proud to help create. I hope it can encourage young people to dream of a better tomorrow, where they are more connected to a thriving natural environment.
"I spent my childhood reading books with a Puffin on the cover. To be publishing this story, that means so much to me, and to be doing it with the incredible team at Puffin is beyond a dream.”
Alsenas said: “I haven’t been able to stop thinking and talking about this book since it was first submitted. It’s gripping, inspiring and very emotional, which makes it a perfect addition to Puffin’s acclaimed middle-grade list.”
