Scribner signs Faber Academy graduate's debut novel

Simon & Schuster UK will publish The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Faber Academy graduate Matson Taylor.

Scribner editorial director Chris White acquired world rights, including audio, from Alice Lutyens at Curtis Brown. Publication in hardback is scheduled for 23rd July 2020. 

The book is about Evie, the fastest milk bottle-delivery girl in East Yorkshire. She dreams of a future in a big city, away from the countryside she’s been living in. There is just a small problem blocking her dreams – Christine, the gold-digger who has her eyes on Evie’s father and his land. 

White said: "I’d been looking out for a book that could make me really laugh for quite a while but they’re harder to find than one might think. Matson’s glorious novel had me in stitches from the very first page and I still chuckle to myself whenever I think about certain scenes. As well as being stomach-achingly funny, it’s also moving, vibrant and beautifully written with a cast of larger-than-life characters to rival 'Coronation Street'. Anybody looking for a book to help them escape the relentless gloom of 21st century news need look no further." 

Taylor added: "I’m tremendously excited to be published by such an esteemed imprint as Scribner. Chris’ enthusiasm and vision for the book have been exhilarating. He’s a brilliant editor and working with him has really helped me bring out not only the humour in the book but also it’s more poignant side. One of my main aims when writing The Miseducation of Evie Epworth was for it to have a heart as well as raise a smile, and the whole Scribner team has these two qualities in bucketloads."