S&S UK snares Wilson's gothic debut on 'secret societies and witchiness'

Simon & Schuster UK (S&S UK) has bought Elspeth Wilson’s debut novel These Mortal Bodies.

Editor Judith Long acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada from Caro Clarke at Portobello Literary.

These Mortal Bodies, which will be published in spring 2025, pitched by S&S UK as “a dark academia novel about a young woman’s first year at a prestigious university, where she uncovers truths about her college’s legacy while becoming part of the most elite social circle”.

The publisher added: “Becoming this new version of herself means keeping secrets about her past, and her secrets are coming back to haunt her.”

Long said: “You know you’ve got something really special when you’re reading a submission until the early hours because you just cannot put it down, savouring every word as you race to the end. I’m excited for UK readers to be introduced to this twisty and atmospheric novel.”

Wilson said: “I sensed immediately how much Judith as an editor got this story and I can’t wait for readers to meet Ivy and her friends.”

Clarke said: “I fell for These Mortal Bodies and Ivy’s story and I’m glad to have found such a passionate editor in Judith.”

Wilson is a creative writer and facilitator working across poetry and prose, whose work has been shortlisted for the Nan Shepherd Prize and the Penguin Write Now scheme. She works on making writing more accessible and co-founded the Writing Happiness project with Rachel Lewis, a writing course for D/deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent writers.