W F Howes signs new deal to publish Daphne du Maurier's catalogue in audiobook for first time

W F Howes has secured a new deal to publish 25 Daphne du Maurier’s works in audiobook format, many of them for the first time. W F Howes, the UK publishing brand of RBmedia, will publish some of du Maurier’s most celebrated novels, including Rebecca, Frenchman’s Creek and Jamaica Inn, as well as her short story collections and biographies.

Laura Smith acquired the rights for W F Howes from Becky Brown, co-head of Curtis Brown Heritage, and Felicity Blunt.

The narrators for the first four books have already been announced and include Bridgerton stars Luke Thompson (reading My Cousin Rachel and several short stories) and British Book Awards nominee Kathryn Drysdale (reading Jamaica Inn). Holliday Grainger is set to perform Rebecca. Annabel Scholey will voice Frenchman’s Creek.

Brown said: “Daphne du Maurier is a writer who needs no introduction. Her unmistakeable literary voice and cinematic writing style have been captivating readers for decades. Few writers can claim to have been so loved both in their lifetime and far beyond it. Building on du Maurier’s incredibly rich legacy, this new audio series will allow her work to be discovered by new audiences and enjoyed through a format that feels like a truly natural fit for her writing.”

Smith said: "It is almost tragic that there are still so many important, classic works written by literary heavyweights that don’t exist in audio. Yet uncovering gems in Daphne du Maurier’s back catalogue and bringing them to audio for the very first time is one of the most satisfying aspects of my job. I am thrilled to be working with Becky and the team on this and to have such a talented group of voice actors already confirmed to finally help lift Daphne’s writing off the page and to finally be enjoyed in audio format.”