Trapeze signs three novels and essay collection from Carty-Williams

Trapeze has revealed details of Candice Carty-Williams’ eagerly awaited second novel, People Person, secured in a “substantial six-figure sum” along with two other novels and an essay collection. People Person will be backed by a major campaign with special editions for indies as well as Waterstones,

Katie Espiner, m.d. at Orion, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights for the three novels and book of essays from Jo Unwin at JULA. People Person will be published in hardback, e-book and audio on 28th April 2022. 

“People Person is a propulsive story of heart, humour, homecoming, and the truest meaning of family you can get when your dad loves his jeep more than his children, the synopsis reads. “Dimple Pennington doesn’t have much in common with her half siblings – except for faint childhood memories of being driven through Brixton and some pretty complex abandonment issues. But when a dramatic event brings Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie and Prynce crashing back into her life — not to mention Cyril, the absent father they never really knew — things get even more complicated.” 

Orion has ambitious plans for the marketing and publicity for the Queenie author’s second novel: “People Person will be supported by an innovative and industry-leading communications campaign with plans afoot for showstopper events, national press coverage, major partnerships and innovative advertising,” the publisher said. The cover image, designed by illustrator Hadil Mohamed with creative direction from Mylène Mozas, has also been revealed.

Special editions are planned for indies as well as Waterstones: “The team will put booksellers at the heart of the campaign with plans in the making for two special editions for Waterstones and independents, unmissable in-store activity and hyperlocal advertising to support high street stores." Trapeze will also be re-releasing the gold paperback edition of Queenie to coincide with the festive season.

Queenie has sold over 164,429 copies across all editions, for £1.3m, according to Nielsen BookScan after being acquired two years earlier by Trapeze in a six-figure deal when Carty-Williams was a senior marketing executive at Vintage. It was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and was named Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2020, with Carty-Williams becoming the first Black author to win the accolade since the prize’s inception in 1994.

Carty-Williams has adapted Queenie into a script for television which will be produced by Further South Productions in association with Lionsgate Television and is slated to be broadcast on Channel 4 in 2023. 

Espiner said of the new deal: “The phenomenal reaction to Queenie reminded me why I work in publishing. Candice has blazed such a trail through the industry already – she is a fierce talent and one of the best people I know. Working with Candice is just a joy, a huge privilege and an honour, and I couldn’t be happier that we have so much forward publishing planned together.” 

Carty-Williams is a journalist, screenwriter. The south London-based author also recently published a YA novella with Knights Of, Empress & Aniya, which follows two teenage girls from different backgrounds, who accidentally cast a body swap spell on their 16th birthday. 

She is also creating an original drama series, "Champion", for the BBC.

In 2016, Carty-Williams created and launched the Guardian and Fourth Estate BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) Short Story Prize, the first inclusive initiative of its kind in book publishing. As a journalist she has written for the Guardian, i-D, Vogue International, every iteration of the Sunday Times, BEAT Magazine, Black Ballad and has interviewed people from Lupita Nyong’o to Adele.