S&S bags 'life-affirming' YA from Jawando in two-book deal

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has acquired two more YA books from "inimitable talent" Danielle Jawando.

Amina Youssef, commissioning editor at Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, bought world rights for If My Words Had Wings from Chloe Seager at Madeleine Milburn Agency. It is set to be published in May 2023, with a second standalone YA following in 2024.

"If My Words Had Wings is a life-affirming story of rehabilitation and hope after prison, following 17-year-old Tyrell who discovers spoken word while he’s behind bars, and finally finds his voice," the synopsis explains. "Written in both prose and verse, the novel bridges the gap between traditional storytelling and poetry, creating a unique offering from a truly unique author."

Jawando is an author, screenwriter and lecturer in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her debut YA novel, And the Stars Were Burning Brightly (S&S Children’s) won best senior novel in the Great Reads Award and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the YA Book Prize, the Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize, the Branford Boase Award and was longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the UKLA Book Awards and the Amazing Book Awards. Her second book, When Our Worlds Collided, was published on 31st March.

"I’ve been wanting to write a YA novel that shines a light on the youth offender prison system, rehabilitation and the transformative power of art for such a long time," she said. "Tyrell’s story is a reality for so many young people whose experiences we don’t often get to see represented in literature. I’m so thrilled and excited to be continuing my publishing journey with the wonderful team at S&S. I can’t think of a more perfect home for If My Words Had Wings."

Seager added: "Danielle is quite simply a phenomenal talent and just when I think her next book can’t be any more sensational than the last, she proves me wrong. I can’t think of a better writer to tackle such an important subject."