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UCLan Publishing has netted a YA novel from Jennifer Lane.
Hazel Holmes, publisher, bought UK and British Commonwealth rights to The Black Air from Charlotte Atyeo at Greyhound Literary, with the paperback book scheduled for publication in September 2023.
Described as “a spellbinding contemporary novel with a dark mystery at its heart,” The Black Air is set in the depths of rural Lancashire as a community marks the 400th anniversary of the Long Byrne witches’ deaths. It is a story about obsession, mental health, disordered eating, the supernatural and the lengths that teenage girls will go to for the sake of all-consuming female friendships.
Holmes said: “The lines between reality and the supernatural are blurred in Jennifer’s reflection on mental health, feminism and female friendship. I was completely consumed by this manuscript and I’m really proud to be welcoming Jennifer to our list.”
Lane, who discovered the legend of the Pendle witches at a young age while exploring the moors of Lancashire and is now a practising Reiki healer, said: “The Black Air’s three main characters have been fully formed in my mind for almost a decade and I’m so excited that UCLan Publishing wanted to get them out into the world as much as I did. The book uses darker themes and often blends fantasy with reality as I felt this was the best way to convey the struggles of trauma.”
Lane has also had a varied career in magazine publishing and now writes and edits environmental content to encourage people to explore the great outdoors.