Headline secure new two-book deal with bestselling author Sheila O’Flanagan

Photo credit: Evan Doherty

Headline Publishing Group has just announced a new two-book deal with multi-million-copy-selling author Sheila O’Flanagan. Executive Publisher Marion Donaldson acquired World English Language rights to SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS and one untitled contemporary novel from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.

Sheila O’Flanagan is the author of an extraordinary 32 bestselling books (all published by Headline), most recently the No. 1 Irish Times bestseller THE HONEYMOON AFFAIR. Headline has sold over 9 million Sheila O’Flanagan books, and Sheila’s work is available in more than 20 languages. She is published in the US by Hachette’s Mobius division.

SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS, scheduled for publication in March 2026, is a superb new contemporary novel. Set in Ireland, Italy, and France, the story follows three women, all at a pivotal moment in their lives. They’re brought together by chance through an incident on a Dublin street where they form a supportive intergenerational friendship. In her unique, insightful, life-affirming way, Sheila weaves their stories together, creating the perfect mix of light and shade for her audience.

Marion Donaldson said: ‘I’m thrilled that we have two new Sheila O’Flanagan novels to look forward to. Sheila and I have worked together for over two decades, and it’s been truly remarkable to watch her sustain the high quality of her wonderful books with each new outing. SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS is one of the most involving, thought-provoking, beautifully written and entertaining novels Sheila has written to date, and I’m very proud to be continuing as her editor with this new contract.’

Sheila O’Flanagan said: ‘I'm delighted that my next two novels will be published by Headline, whose enthusiasm and support for my books has brought them to so many readers over the past twenty-five years.’

Isobel Dixon said: ‘It’s a joy to ink another deal with Marion Donaldson for two glorious new books by Sheila O’Flanagan, continuing a long and happy relationship with the great team at Headline. SECRETS BETWEEN FRIENDS features an intriguing trio of women sharing their stories and finding their own strength and path, in ways that will delight Sheila’s fans and reach even more readers around the world. We look forward to more bestseller success ahead.’

About Sheila O’Flanagan

Sheila O’Flanagan is an international bestselling novelist. Most of her novels have been immediate and long-lasting No. 1s in Ireland, as well as UK Top 10 Sunday Times Bestsellers and Kindle Bestsellers. She is the recipient of the prestigious Irish Tatler Literary Woman of the Year Award and was also shortlisted for the Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award.

In October 2025, Sheila was one of the author Ambassadors in Bookselling Ireland’s Irish Book Weeks campaign, encouraging people to visit bookshops across Ireland. This reflects Sheila’s long-term commitment to promoting literacy, and her novels’ focus on women’s empowerment aligns with the campaign's goals.

Praise for Sheila O’Flanagan

‘One of my favourite authors’ – Marian Keyes

‘Exploring family relationships is what this bestselling author does so well’ – Choice

‘O’Flanagan weaves an inspiring tale of strength, love and self-discovery’ – Sunday Express

‘One of our best-known, best-loved and most prolific women’s fiction authors’ – Irish Independent

‘Brilliantly written and with plot twists popping out like prosecco corks.’ – Woman & Home

‘Reading a Sheila O’Flanagan novel always feels like sitting down for a cup of tea with a friend – she writes with such warmth and empathy.’ – Beth O’Leary, author of THE FLATSHARE

‘Sheila writes with such verve and positivity and emotional intelligence.’ – Veronica Henry

‘To me, what is worthy of canonisation, though, is Sheila’s ability to illustrate the complexities of female friendship… part of the reason Sheila transcends boundaries and expectations so successfully is because she writes with courage… I think we all need a Sheila O’Flanagan in our lives. She’s the woman Woolf wanted us to be. She is Judith Shakespeare. She is Mary Carmichael. She is the anonymous woman. In a world still quick to dismiss certain stories, especially the quiet ones, Sheila O’Flanagan is a fierce reminder of their strength.’ – Azmina Sohail, Write On! Magazine

Visit Sheila’s website.

Follow Sheila on BlueSky and Instagram.

Deon Meyer’s SKORPIO shoots to the top of the South African bestseller lists

The Afrikaans edition of Deon Meyer’s SKORPIO – the latest thrilling instalment of Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido’s investigations – has rocketed to the top of the South African charts, across each of the Fiction, Afrikaans-language, South African-writers and Overall bestseller lists. Published by Human & Rousseau, an imprint of Jonathan Ball, on 31 October 2025, the book is set to continue Deon’s domination of the South African charts, following his over ten-week run for his previous novel LEO, across both the Afrikaans and English-language editions.

Following two seemingly minor investigations which rapidly spiral to reveal international ramifications, SKORPIO marks an exciting new chapter for Deon, with English editions (translated by K.L. Seegers) forthcoming from Pan Macmillan in the UK, Grove Atlantic in the US and Canada, Aufbau in Germany, and A.W Bruna in the Netherlands.

In SKORPIO, as an international security forum convenes in the picturesque town of Stellenbosch, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido race against time to uncover a plot that could shake international foundations. With the threat looming over the prestigious gathering of global leaders, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Congratulations on this latest success, Deon!

About Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer lives in Stellenbosch. His books are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, and have been awarded many prizes around the world: the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa, the Martin Beck Award in Sweden and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. COBRA was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger, THIRTEEN HOURS was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger, and HEART OF THE HUNTER, was longlisted for the 2005 IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ‘10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004’. THE DARK FLOOD was longlisted for the 2023 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation, and LEO enjoyed ten weeks at the top of the South African bestseller lists, Number One in all categories, before going on to win Best Adult Fiction and Book of the Year at the 2024 SA Book Awards, and the ATKV-Woordveertjies Prize for best Afrikaans Thriller.

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching international audiences. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe. His latest adaptation, THE INVISIBLE (from the novel BLOOD SAFARI), starring Abbie Cornish and Dougray Scott is currently in production through M-Net, Scene23, Berkeley Media Group (BMG), and ITV Studios.

Praise for SKORPIO

‘It’s the characters, the humanity and the humour that keeps me devouring Deon Meyer’s novels.’ – Deborah Steinmair, Netwerk24

Praise for Deon Meyer

‘He’s up there with the best in the world.’ – Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘I love Deon Meyer novels. It’s global storytelling at its best, with the undeniable hallmarks of gritty realism and deep character building.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer's name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.’ – El Mundo

‘One of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Visit Deon’s website

Follow Deon on Twitter

BFLA Open Week: What qualities do you look for in a client?

Working with a literary agent about more than the book – it’s a partnership, that will hopefully be long-lasting, growing and changing as your publishing progresses. For today’s final Question of the Day, we put to the team:

What qualities do you look for in a client?

We hope you have enjoyed these insights into our team, and what we do here at Blake Friedmann – and remember, the whole archive for Question of the Day and previous years’ Open Week articles are all available on our Open Week page. Please read on to see everyone’s full responses!

Kate Burke, Senior Agent

Someone who’s willing to put in the work (publishing can be a long old road!), work collaboratively, someone who has energy, ambition and commitment (which I will match!), and lots of creative ideas for a long and successful career.

Sian Ellis-Martin, Associate Agent

Collaboration and trust are huge parts of the agent/author relationship, so I’m always looking for someone that’s open to working together on edits and book ideas and any other projects that might come up. It goes without saying but a writer needs to be a big reader; I always think that the best authors are the ones who really understand the genre that they’re writing into. I love working with authors who are in it for the long-haul, full of ideas for future books, and are truly dedicated to their writing.

Isobel Dixon, Head of Books

First off – in the submission letter, the quality of the text, and first conversations – I want a sense of integrity of purpose in the work. A seriousness about writing as a career, evident in what the author has already done to produce the text (in whatever genre) and what they aim to do in the future. ‘Passion’ and ‘determination’ are key words here, along with ‘resilience’ –which can be developed, with the right attitude towards the inevitable challenges. I seek to forge enduring author-agent relationships and need a sense that we can really work together through ups and downs.

Julian Friedmann, Chairman

Ambition and flexibility. Getting deals means offering investors a way of making money from your work, or in some cases, embracing it because it is important and beautifully written and must be published or produced because of the contribution it will make to the world.

Juliet Pickering, Vice Head of Books

Firstly, an exciting writer who has a long career ahead of them! Then, when we meet, I hope for openness, someone who can communicate and share their ambitions, and an author who’s collaborative on the editorial process. And, often, someone who shares a sense of humour about the idiosyncrasies of the industry, as they get to know it – and the wider world!

Finlay Charlesworth, Agent’s Assistant

First and foremost, passion: for their subject, for their craft, and their role as a participant in this vibrant industry.

It’s so important also to always keep an open-mind – whether during a tricky edit, or exploring new and varied options for publication that might not have been what you initially expected or hoped for. Publishing is a long game, after all!

BFLA Open Week: What is the most challenging part of your role?

While we love to celebrate the publishing industry – amazing authors, essential books, and a whole world full of readers – sometimes it can feel like an uphill battle. In today’s BFLA Open Week Question of the Day, we asked the team:

What is the most challenging part of your role?

Please take a look at everyone’s answers below, and come back tomorrow for the final instalment of this year’s Open Week!

Isobel Dixon, Head of Books

Agenting requires a great deal of intelligent nerve, in fighting for your authors, in tricky negotiations, and the mettle required to deliver bad news – rejected submissions, editor departures, frustrating reviews (or lack of them). The trade’s rate of change is swifter than ever before – editor moves, corporate mergers, retailer shifts – and we are the steady point for our clients, supporting and strategising in response to perpetual publishing flux. Physical stamina is required too as we don’t control publishing schedules – several client titles can be published on one day and we have to be prepared and there for each unique scenario.

Sian Ellis-Martin, Associate Agent

There are times where we have to share disappointing news with an author – perhaps their book hasn’t sold as well as we’d hoped, their publisher isn’t going to offer for the next book, or we haven’t been able to secure any supermarket slots. There are so many steps in the publishing process and things don’t always go the way we hope at every stage; it can be really difficult to have to communicate those messages with an author who has worked so hard to get to that point. But we always support the author the best we can and try to find ways around the obstacles!

Ane Reason, Senior Contract Manager

One of the most challenging parts of my role as Contracts Manager is finding the right balance between perfectionism and pragmatism. Paying careful attention to details is an essential part of my job but, at the end of the day, a contract is a functional legal document rather than a piece of art. I constantly have to ask myself whether the changes I make serve a purpose by making the meaning clearer or substantially improving the terms. Walking that tightrope between focusing on details and the big picture can be tricky, but it’s also very rewarding.

Kate Burke, Senior Agent

Sharing bad, disappointing or unexpected news with clients – it’s always so hard as we just want great things for them. This industry is hard and not all books reach the sales or success they deserve – all the stars need to align for success: right book, right editor, right publisher, at the right time – so it’s hard to navigate disappointment but peaks and troughs are part of any job.

Nicole Etherington, Rights Manager

Different markets have different challenges at different times, but things like inflation, paper costs and a higher cost of living all have an impact and can make selling translation rights in certain territories trickier which makes it all the more important that we build and maintain our international relationships, and support our authors’ international publications.   

Leyla Hattabi, Film & TV Department Assistant

Time management is the most challenging part of my role. Finding the balance between reading material, submissions and contracting, is key.

Juliet Pickering, Vice Head of Books

Delivering bad news – rejections, disappointing sales, lack of publisher support etc. Being published comes with a lot of potential pitfalls. But it’s a long game, so hanging on in there is half of it!

Julian Friedmann, Chairman

Having to convey lots of rejections for projects I love. The markets (books, film and TV) are risk averse and the biggest challenge  for agents and writers is everyone raising their game. As some wit in Hollywood said: good enough is not good enough. That’s the biggest challenge. Never submit a first draft. Submit after numerous people you trust to tell you hard truths, give you tough love, have read and commented. Then submit once you have taken advice and done some rewrites.

James Pusey, Head of Rights

Encouraging publishers to adopt a long-term commitment to an author’s career over multiple books, not all of which might meet with the success they undoubtedly deserve!

Finlay Charlesworth, Agent’s Assistant

There are so many parts to an agent’s role – one minute a sales-person, the next an editor, then a lawyer, accountant, secretary, and back again… jumping from spreadsheets to emails to meetings to manuscripts, across all kinds of different contexts can make your head spin sometimes!

That’s why, for me, in order to stay grounded it’s so important to try to stay focused, and keep people – whether authors, readers or colleagues – at the centre of everything you do.

Tabitha Topping, Book Department Assistant

Time management! There’s always so much to do and not enough hours in the day.

BFLA Open Week: What would you love to see on submission?

It’s time for that question we hear more than any other from prospective authors and publishing hopefuls:

What would you love to see on submission? What’s top of your wishlist?

Please take a look at everyone’s answers below, and come back tomorrow for Day Four!

Juliet Pickering, Vice Head of Books

Like many others (readers and publishers!) I’d love some joyful fiction: it doesn’t have to be uncomplicated, but a story that draws on the best of humanity would be a delight to discover and share. A great love story; a couple of bickering but close siblings; the seasons of a long marriage… it can be any kind of relationship, but please give me hope!

Kate Burke, Senior Agent

I would love to find a dark and twisty slice of literary suspense (in the vein of Tana French or Liz Moore), a sweeping, multigenerational family story about grandmothers, mothers and daughters and a crime series featuring an usual and intriguing female lead character.

Sian Ellis-Martin, Associate Agent

The main things I’m looking for at the moment are an engrossing family story with warm and inviting writing (like Ann Patchett), a character focused upmarket crime novel (like NOTES ON AN EXECUTION), or a sapphic rom com or love story with a unique setting.

Isobel Dixon, Head of Books

I represent a robust list of clients, so am open for submissions only briefly each year. I might take on one new writer in 18 months, but my taste is broad: from suspense, crime and thriller (standalone and series), through to literary fiction and narrative non-fiction/memoir that teaches me something new about the world. Across genres, contemporary or historical, I care about the quality of each sentence, and intriguing characters who relate to each other in settings with texture and depth. I want to be moved, thrilled, surprised. Hard to pin down, but I know it when I read it.

Julian Friedmann, Chairman

I would never have expected to really enjoy a Romantasy thriller, but I did and it sold well. Which is not to say that I want more, but if I can indulge my own passion genres, it would be thrillers and espionage.

Finlay Charlesworth, Agent’s Assistant

I’m not currently open to submissions, but I would love a novel set in the world of theatre, or a fresh non-fiction perspective on sport, pop culture, and entertainment that combine piercing insight and analysis with the passion and love that all fans share.