Pushkin Children’s nabs new YA novel from the author of Bearmouth

Pushkin Children’s has acquired The Twelve by Liz Hyder, the author of the YA novel Bearmouth (Pushkin Children’s Books).

Editor-at-large Sarah Odedina acquired world rights from Anwen Hooson at Bird Literary Agency and The Twelve will publish in October, with cover artwork and illustrations by visual artist and writer Tom de Freston.

“Set on the Pembrokeshire coast, sisters Kit and Libby are on a winter holiday with their mum,” the synopsis says. “But as the solstice moon rises high in the sky, Kit and Libby are drawn to a mysterious white tower, only to face disaster when Libby vanishes. The world has rewritten itself, leaving Kit to navigate a reality where her sister has never existed. Even their mum doesn’t remember her.”

The synopsis adds: “But then Kit meets Story, a local boy who remembers Libby perfectly. He teams up with Kit and together they embark on a perilous journey fraught with danger beyond their wildest imagination, traversing a world steeped in ancient folklore. Can Kit and Story uncover the secret of the Twelve and rescue Libby before Time itself vanishes?”

Hyder’s Bearmouth won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Older Readers in 2020, the Branford Boase Award, and was The Times Children’s Book of the Year, plus a Sunday Times and Financial Times Book of the Year. A film is currently in development with Binocular.

“The Twelve is a powerful story about friendship, trust, the changing world and empowerment,” Odedina said. “Liz’s strength is writing beautiful prose with compelling characters and a gripping plot and The Twelve delivers a wonderful story that will mesmerise readers and leave them filled with hope.”

Hyder added: “I’m so delighted to be working with the wonderful Pushkin team again for this new book. A coming-of-age story that incorporates stone circles and time slips, our relationship with the natural world and powerful long-forgotten forces from the past, at its heart The Twelve is about friendship, love and hope. Pushkin are such a joy to work with and it’s been a dream to be reunited with the legendary Sarah Odedina and to have the incredible Tom de Freston – one of my absolute favourite artists – doing illustrations for both the jacket and inside.”