Seddon moves to Trapeze in two-book deal

Holly Seddon has moved to Trapeze after signing a two-book deal with the Orion imprint. 

Editorial director Phoebe Morgan acquired UK and Commonwealth rights for After Dark and a second book from Sophie Lambert at C&W. Trapeze will publish After Dark in paperback, ebook and audio in early 2021, followed by a second novel in 2022.

Previously published by Atlantic, Seddon is the internationally bestselling author of Try Not To Breathe, Don’t Close Your Eyes and Love Will Tear Us Apart. Seddon has sold 47,292 books in total, for £262,758, according to Nielsen BookScan. Her bestseller, Try Not to Breathe, has sold 33,942 copies in paperback to date.

Lambert said: “After Dark is heart stopping, exceptionally plotted and marks Holly out as one of the best. We couldn’t wish for a more passionate or ambitious home than Trapeze and I can’t wait for Holly’s hordes of fans to read her brilliant new novel.”

After Dark tells the story of Marianne, "a woman who makes a horrifying discovery on her late husband's laptop – her own name on what looks like a hit list," the synopsis reads. "What follows is an exploration of the lengths we will go to protect ourselves, and a dark look at the deep secrets human beings can keep." 

Morgan said: “Holly Seddon is an extraordinarily talented writer who combines beautiful prose with tense, gripping plots and After Dark is her best book yet. I have long admired her writing and couldn’t be happier to bring her to the Trapeze list, where I very much hope she will flourish. The idea of finding your own name on a hit list is terrifying and Marianne is one of the best characters I have come across in a very long time.”

Seddon, who co-hosts the popular Honest Authors podcast with Gillian McAllister, added: “I am simply thrilled to be joining Trapeze, an imprint and team that I have admired since the very beginning. I’m so proud of After Dark and cannot wait to see it out there in the world and in readers’ hands.”