Puffin reins in three middle-grade titles from equestrian star Higgs

Puffin has reined in three middle-grade titles from equestrian superstar Esme Higgs, written in collaboration with Jo Cotterill.

Carmen McCullough, editorial director, acquired world rights in three titles in The Starlight Stables Gang series direct from the author. The first title will publish in paperback in March 2023 with a simultaneous limited-edition, signed hardback. The second title in the series will publish in August 2023 with a third scheduled for April 2024. 

The synopsis says: “When Summer discovers the Starlight Stables, she meets a new gang of friends and learns how to ride in return for helping out with the horses. It’s a dream come true! But one day Summer arrives at the stables to find that her favourite pony, Opal, has been stolen in the night. It’s up to the Starlight Stables Gang to follow the clues and rescue Opal before it’s too late!” 

McCullough said: “I first met Esme at the Blenheim Horse Show where I witnessed hundreds of young girls squealing with excitement at the prospect of meeting her. Esme’s incredible connection with her fans and her exceptional knowledge of horses is part of what makes this project so special, and we’ve found the perfect collaborator in Jo, who has written so many brilliant award-winning titles and has her very own horse-mad tween. The perfect series for animal lovers everywhere, The Starlight Stables Gang highlights the importance of friendship and following your dreams and, on top of that, there’s a cracking mystery to solve!” 

Higgs added: “I’m beyond excited for this project with Puffin. Having dyslexia, I always knew that to make the best stories I could, I was going to need help in getting the ideas in my head on to paper. It has been really enlightening working with Jo, an author of such a brilliant calibre. Together we’ve created a world that I know that my fans will not only love but they will also find part of themselves in the diverse characters we have created. The Starlight Stable Gang shows how horses and ponies can bring people from all walks of life together, to share the highs and the lows, the adventures, and, of course, the picking up of poo – with horses, there is always lots of poo.” 

Cotterill also commented: “As a child, I had a handful of riding lessons and loved them. Working on this project with Esme is a real treat: not only do I get to write for my favourite age group but I’m learning so much about the equestrian world. Esme and I both want to make reading and riding more accessible to children from all kinds of backgrounds and with all levels of ability, so The Starlight Stables series is a perfect collaboration. I can’t wait for readers to meet our characters – both the human and the equine!”