Piers Torday inks new series for Quercus

Hachette Children’s Group (HCG) imprint Quercus Children’s has bought a new fantasy series by Piers Torday.

The first book will be The Lost Magician, set in 1945, about four children who step through a mysterious library door into the world of Folio, where an enchanted kingdom of fairy knights, bears and tree gods is under threat from a sinister robot army. The many stories of the library are locked in eternal war, and the children's only hope is to find their creator – a magician who has been lost for centuries.

Sarah Lambert, editorial director for HCG, secured UK & Commonwealth rights in a three book deal from Clare Conville at C + W.

“Piers Torday is without doubt a master storyteller for children, and we couldn’t be more delighted to launch his eagerly awaited new series,” said Lambert. “Thrilling adventure, unforgettable characters and Piers’ trademark humour are wrapped up in a rich, exciting world. We can’t wait for readers to step through the library door and discover what lies beyond.

The Lost Magician will be published in hardback in September 2018, with two more titles to follow at a later date.

Torday’s previous children’s books, also published by Quercus, include The Last Wild, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Award, and There May Be a Castle. He finished The Death of an Owl, an unfinished novel by his late father, Paul Torday, and adapted John Masefield’s classic novel The Box of Delights for the stage last Christmas.