Sceptre snags Jenny Mustard's second novel

Sceptre has bagged the second novel by Okay Days author Jenny Mustard.

Sceptre’s editorial director Ansa Khan Khattak acquired British Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to What a Time to be Alive from Peter Straus at RCW Literary Agency. The book will be published in April 2025. 

What a Time to be Alive follows a young woman, Sickan, who leaves her small hometown to go to university in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Mustard is herself from Sweden but lives in London. Her debut, Okay Days, was published by Sceptre in 2023.

Khattak said: “In the same crystalline prose as her debut, What a Time to be Alive, takes Jenny’s storytelling to a new level—asking profound questions about class, intimacy, and the perils of relying on the people and things around us to maintain our sense of self. As an editor it’s a dream to work with someone like Jenny: a writer who is as committed to making sure there’s a not a word out of place as they are to making you fall in love with her characters.”

Mustard said: “It has been a special experience for me writing What a Time to be Alive—returning to Stockholm, looking back at young womanhood in all its glory and horrors. I hope Sickan’s character and her story will resonate with readers, and I am delighted to continue my relationship with Sceptre. It has been truly wonderful debuting Okay Days, thanks to the support of the whole Sceptre team. Working with Ansa on this second novel has been a joy and a privilege. And as always, my heartfelt thanks to the brilliant Peter Straus at RCW.”