Trapeze pre-empts Hank Green's debut as 2018 'superlead'

Trapeze has pre-empted rights to publish the debut of Hank Green, brother of John Green, as a "superlead title" in autumn 2018.

UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) in the book, called An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, were acquired by commissioning editor Rachel Winterbottom in a two-book pre-empt from Jodi Reamer via Peggy Boulos Smith at Writers House.

Pitched as "compulsively entertaining", the book grapples with big themes, including fame, fear and idolisation. 

It tells the story of April May, an art student in New York City who happens across an impressive, mysterious sculpture of a giant robot in midtown Manhattan. With the help of her friend Andy Skampt, she makes a video with the figure, naming it Carl. After news spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world – and nobody knows how they got there – April is thrust into an international spotlight and finds herself at the centre of the quest to find out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

Green started making YouTube videos in 2007 with his brother, John Green, who published young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars six years ago and this year publishes Turtles All the Way Down (Penguin Random House Children’s UK) on 10th October. Their YouTube channels include CrashCourse and SciShow, which have amassed more than two billion video views.  

Hank Green said: "It’s a story I’ve wanted to tell for a long time that was seeded by a lot of my personal experiences, but it’s April’s story, and it’s been a pleasure watching her live her absolutely remarkable life. I’m so excited to have the support of Trapeze in helping get this book out to folks in the UK. As soon as we announced, people were asking if it would be available overseas and I’m so happy to have the support of my UK community."

Winterbottom said: "I couldn’t be more excited and thrilled to be publishing the remarkable Hank Green, and to share the inimitable April May with readers. Hank has always engaged with his vast fan base with such authenticity and humour, and that’s reflected in this extraordinary book. As entertaining as it is immediate, Hank’s exploration of fame, fear and idolisation is full of truth and the things we should all be talking about."