You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
S&S Children’s signs fantasy trilogy from Kemp and Wyatt
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has snapped up a middle-grade fantasy trilogy from Anna Kemp and David Wyatt.
Publishing director Ali Dougal acquired world rights in all languages from Caroline Walsh at David Higham Associates in a three-book deal. The illustration rights were bought directly from the illustrator.
The publisher will release the first book in the trilogy, Into Goblyn Wood, this September, featuring plate illustrations and artwork by Wyatt. The launch of the middle-grade adventure will be backed by a full marketing and publicity campaign.
Into Goblyn Wood follows Hazel Quince who, when her best friend Pete is kidnapped by strange creatures, must gather her courage and enter Goblyn Wood, a dark forest inhabited by fairies. “But their magic is being drained away, and Hazel soon realises that her own power is the key to saving both Pete and her new friends,” the synopsis explains. “With its Tolkien-esque magic and world steeped in fairy lore, Hazel’s story will take readers on a daring journey into an immersive new fantasy world.”
Dougal said: “Anna is a beloved author at Simon & Schuster Children’s – a warm writer with a special eye for character. It’s a huge thrill to be publishing her across our fiction and picture book lists. The detail she has brought to Hazel’s story and the world of Goblyn Wood is phenomenal, rooted in ancient fairy history and filled with magic. It is a sweeping story, rich in imagination and adventure and we are building a fantasy world that readers will be clamouring to step into.”
Kemp writes both picture books and middle-grade fiction. Her books have been nominated for a number of prizes including the BookTrust Early Years Award, the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Oscar’s Book Prize. Her work has been adapted for a variety of mediums including TV, puppetry and theatre, while her books include Dogs Don’t do Ballet and The Worst Princess, which will reissue next year, both illustrated by Sara Ogilvie.
She said: “Goblyn Wood has been growing wild in my heart for years now and it is such a joy to finally invite you into its leafy wonder. This is a world where elfin oaks transport you to underground labyrinths, where ley lines crackle with magic, where fairies are powerful and dangerous, and where a brave 11-year-old finds out what she’s really made of. I am delighted to be publishing with the fantastic team at Simon & Schuster and so proud to have my fairy world brought to life by the talented David Wyatt.”
Wyatt’s first professional work appeared in British comic 2000 AD when he was 17, illustrating a strip for Neil Gaiman. Since then he has focused on children’s books, working with many fantasy authors, including Philip Pullman, Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, Geraldine McCaughrean and Philip Reeve.
