Usborne triumphs in five-way auction for Whittam’s ‘astonishingly authentic’ début novel

Usborne has scooped Kimberly Whittam’s “astonishingly authentic” début novel in a two-book deal following a five-way auction. 

Rebecca Hill, fiction director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Gyamfia Osei at The Good Literary Agency. Quiet Storm, the first book in the deal, will be published in June 2023 with the second title following in 2024. 

“Kimberly was the first author that I signed upon becoming an agent, so Quiet Storm has a very special place in my heart,” said Osei. “This book teaches us that you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to shine, and Kimberly is hugely talented at capturing the warmth and humour found in classrooms today. I am absolutely delighted that Quiet Storm has found a home with Rebecca and the wonderful Usborne team, and I cannot wait for young readers to meet Storm next year.”

Whittam’s début is a “tender, character-led story about family, friendship and finding the confidence to face your anxieties head-on” and was inspired by Whittam’s work as a teaching assistant in Manchester. Quiet Storm is a celebration of children who struggle with confidence “and deserve to take up space, no matter how quiet their voice is”. 

The synopsis reads: “Storm’s life is a whirlwind. With rollerskating, rock-singing parents, an overachieving big brother and a mischievous dog, Minnie, there is never a dull moment in the Williams’ household. But despite the noise around her, Storm is quiet. She’s lurked in the shadows since joining Daisy Mill Academy; her classes are difficult, but making friends is even harder and despite being told that she’ll ‘grow out’ of her shyness, she just doesn’t know how to. Until one day, Storm breaks the record for the fastest Year 7 sprinter in the history of the academy. As she’s recruited to represent her school in Manchester’s highly anticipated athletic championships, Storm must dig deep and decide whether to continue being known as ‘Isaiah’s little sister’ or finally step into her own spotlight.” 

Hill commented: “I loved every moment of reading Kimberly’s astonishingly authentic novel. Quiet Storm is a story about a young girl starting secondary school, navigating friendship problems, taking on a bully, and discovering an unknown talent and passion for running. Filled with highs, lows and some incredibly tense moments, while focusing on the importance of being yourself and having the confidence to take up space, I found myself crying tears of joy as Storm discovers that you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to have a voice. It is a novel that will resonate with many of today’s young readers, and we can’t wait for them to fall under Kimberly’s spell.”

Whittam added: “I am so proud to be publishing my début with Usborne. I wrote Quiet Storm for children who struggle with shyness; children who don’t speak up, no matter how much they want to. It’s also a celebration of the chaotic yet joyous tribulations that occur every day in classrooms across the country and I’m looking forward to giving quieter children a starring role when they are often left out or reduced to the sidelines.”