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Sophie Irwin signed by Century to write Georgette Heyer continuation novel
Georgette Heyer’s long-time publisher Century has acquired a new “sweeping” Heyer Regency continuation novel authored by Sophie Irwin.
Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) was an English short-story writer and novelist in both the detective fiction and Regency romance genres. The Georgette Heyer Estate is agented by Peter Buckman at The Ampersand Agency.
Senior commissioning editor Susannah Hamilton acquired world English-language rights to Irwin’s text with Henrietta to publish in Summer 2026. Irwin is represented by Rachel Yeoh on behalf of Madeleine Milburn.
Hamilton said: “As with so many of Heyer’s readers, I love everything she wrote, reading her obsessively for years. From The Grand Sophy to Regency Buck, her world-building is second-to-none, her romance plots incomparable.
“We’re delighted to have Sophie Irwin on board: she truly is the perfect author to write it. She’s immersed in the Regency world, and knows exactly how to give Heyer’s loyal readers – and those who have yet to have the joy of discovering her – what they want.”
Irwin, the bestselling author of A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting (HarperCollins), said: “I have been in love with Heyer’s novels since childhood, so I was honoured to have been asked to continue her legacy.”
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Peter Buckman of the Ampersand Agency commented: “The Heyer Estate has long resisted the idea of anyone writing a ‘continuation novel’, one that took some of her characters and gave them a new lease of life. The main reason was respect for Heyer’s unique style, which is based on thorough research into the Regency period, which she then turned into a romantic story peopled by unforgettable characters and suffused with inimitable wit.
“A love of Heyer’s novels has long been passed down through generations of passionate readers, and we thought it would be impossible to find someone who could write a story that would satisfy the exacting standards of Heyer’s loyal fans, while also appealing to readers who had never tried her work.”
He continued: “Then we met Sophie Irwin. She was not only a Heyer devotee, she had written a dissertation on the positive effect Heyer’s novels had on morale during the Second World War. And she had published a couple of novels in the style of a Regency romance, but with a modern sensibility that proved popular with younger readers.
“She proposed to take a couple of Heyer’s short stories in the collection called Snowdrift, and turn them into a novel that puts flesh and blood and feelings into characters Heyer had only sketched. We are looking forward to adding Henrietta to the canon of Heyer romances, confident that Sophie’s storytelling skills will draw new readers into Heyer’s world, as well as offering a surprise treat to those who feel they know it well.”
