Yellow Kite pre-empts Folding Lady debut from TikTok star Liard

Yellow Kite has signed a deal for The Folding Lady: Tools & Tricks to Make the Most of Your Space & Find Value in Your Home from TikTok star Sophie Liard.  

Lauren Whelan, associate publisher at Yellow Kite and Hodder Lifestyle, pre-empted world English language rights direct from The Bent Agency on behalf of Kimberly Whalen of The Whalen Agency. 

Yellow Kite accepted a pre-empt for North American rights from Marta Schooler, vice-president and publisher at Harper Design, which will publish alongside Yellow Kite. The Folding Lady will be published in hardback on 28th April 2022. 

“Ex-retailer Sophie Liard launched The Folding Lady in 2020, in a bid to share clever solutions for making the most of small space living and encourage others during Covid-19 and beyond, to let go of trying to tackle the big stuff but instead take control of the little, doable activities that can bring you comfort,” the publisher said. “Her channels have since exploded; she has 3.8 million TikTok followers, 40 million TikTok likes and over half a million fans on Instagram.

"Sophie’s ‘folding fam’ have fallen for her realistic approach to making life easier through folding and organising. Her first book is a practical and personal guide that will help readers futureproof against the chaos and stress caused by the daily grind and equip them with the tools to create mental and physical ‘room’ and turn their focus, time and energy to the tasks and ‘things’ that hold true long-term value.”    

Liard said of the deal: “I am beyond excited to be releasing my first book. Throughout this whole journey I’ve been on with The Folding Lady this really is a high point for me. I hope this book inspires and motivates readers and that everyone finds the after value they deserve.” 

Whelan commented: “Sophie has had such an inspiring career working in retail in the thick of our high street and, as a result, lives and breathes the advice she shares on The Folding Lady and now, very excitingly, in her debut book. She’s created trailblazing content that is not only highly addictive watching and extremely soothing, but speaks to the world we live in, for all those overwhelmed people, looking to take charge of what they can in a simple way, and find more balance, clarity and positivity in their home life.”