Hodder falls under the spell of Kate Hodges’ Macbeth-inspired historical fiction debut

Commissioning editor Lily Cooper from Hodder and Stoughton has pre-empted world all-language rights for Kate Hodges’ debut historical novel, THE WAYWARD SISTERS, from agent Juliet Pickering.

For fans of THE FAMILIARS, THE BINDING and PANDORA, THE WAYWARD SISTERS is a historical intrigue set in 18th century Scotland, which offers a modern, feminist perspective on Macbeth’s Three Witches. The story begins in 1769, the year of Venus’s second transit, when frustrated astronomer Nancy Lockaby is still reeling from the ridicule that her theories on the transit have earned her from her colleagues at the Greenwich Observatory. A mysterious invitation from Shakespearean scholar Caleb Malles to join him as a research fellow in Inverness, gives her a chance of escape. But while Nancy initially finds herself drawn in by Caleb’s eccentric, brilliant mind, when she crosses paths with three crones who warn her that the scholar is hiding dark intentions, Nancy finds herself wondering who she can trust. Especially when the women claim that they have their own relationship with one of the Bard’s greatest works…

Kate Hodges says: ‘I am thrilled to bring the stories of Nancy and the three witches of Macbeth to the world, and to have had the opportunity to explore that period in history when the lines between science and magic were blurred and porous. It’s been magical writing THE WAYWARD SISTERS, and I’m grateful to the team at Hodder for publishing my debut at the perfect time: Halloween!’

Lily Cooper says: ‘THE WAYWARD SISTERS serves up everything I love in a novel – wonderfully chilling atmosphere, a page-turning plot, and characters who speak to our times – with a delicious side-helping of Shakespeare. In her story, Kate interrogates the narrative of Macbeth’s Witches as a representation of evil and chaos, and offers us a fresh, imaginative take on one of literature’s most famous trios through a rollicking adventure that will leave readers under its spell. We’re very excited to be introducing her story to the world this Halloween.’

Juliet Pickering says: ‘I can think of no one better to explore the three women of Macbeth and who they really may have been behind the ‘‘double toil and trouble’’, than Kate and her imagination. THE WAYWARD SISTERS brings them into the spotlight and holds up a mirror to womanhood and power, deftly explored alongside by Nancy Lockaby and her intelligent curiosity. I can’t wait for readers to enjoy this rich, beguiling novel.’

THE WAYWARD SISTERS will be published in hardback, audiobook and eBook on 26th October 2023.

Photo: Jeff Pitcher

About Kate Hodges

Kate Hodges graduated from the University of Westminster with a BA in Print Journalism. She has over 20 years writing experience on magazines, having been a staffer on publications including The Face, Bizarre, Just Seventeen, Smash Hits and Sky, and written for many more, including The Guardian, Kerrang! and NME. She has also worked for Rapido TV, makers of cult show Eurotrash, and P For Production films. Since June 2012, she’s edited, researched and written the weekly Hopscotch newsletter, a guide for families to the best cheap, fun things happening in London.

She is the author of three books on London, LITTLE LONDON, LONDON IN HOUR, RURAL LONDON, as well as I KNOW A WOMAN, WARRIORS, WITCHES, WOMEN, ON A STARRY NIGHT and ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS. Her latest book, WILD WORDS (Portico, October 2021), is a collection of words from around the world which are evocative of the wild.

She has twins, Arthur and Dusty, and lives in Hastings. In her spare time, she plays in bands including The Nuns and The Hare and Hoofe.

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Will Dean’s bestselling Tuva series to be published by Hodder

Photo credit: Rosalind Hobley

Jo Dickinson, executive publisher at Hodder & Stoughton, has acquired world English language rights from Kate Burke to books six and seven in Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson series. With the first five books of the series previously published by Oneworld, this move brings all of Dean’s writing under one publishing house. She has also acquired the US rights in books one through to five.

Hodder has published Dean’s standalone novels since 2021, beginning with THE LAST THING TO BURN which received huge acclaim from readers and reviewers alike, and was nominated for a number of awards. The paperback of Dean’s second standalone novel FIRST BORN and the hardback of his third, THE LAST PASSENGER, will both be published in spring 2023, backed by major campaigns.

Will Dean says: ‘Writing the Tuva Moodyson books is a privilege. Every novel is both a challenge and a real pleasure to write. I am constantly awed by the dedication and talent of the Hodder team, and I’m thrilled Jo Dickinson will be publishing the next books in the series. I’m excited for readers, new and old, to discover the next Tuva story: a dark, icy standalone set deep in the Swedish mountains.’

Kate Burke says: 'I’m delighted to have this deal in place, bringing both strands of Will’s brilliant writing under one roof. I’m very excited for the next steps in his publishing journey!”

Jo Dickinson says that it has been ‘an absolute joy to work with Will these past three years’, and added: ‘His creativity, ambition and passion for the writing community is awe-inspiring. Bringing the Tuva series to the Hodder list is the exciting next step in our growth and allows us to manage both strands to maximum potential.’

Book six in the Tuva series, as yet untitled, will feature Tuva Moodyson but be a standalone locked-room thriller. It will be published in hardback, e-book and audio in autumn 2024.

The synopsis reads: ‘When reporter Moodyson discovers a deaf teenage ice-hockey star has gone missing in the far north of Sweden, she races eight hours north. The town she arrives at is separated from the outside world by a vast mountain range, accessible only through a tunnel that closes each night. As Tuva investigates, other locals begin to go missing and it becomes clear there is a serial killer on the loose, who is locked in with the town every night…’

About Will Dean

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying law at the LSE, and working many varied jobs in London, he settled in rural Sweden with his wife. He built a wooden house in a boggy forest clearing and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes.

Praise for Tuva Moodyson series

‘Scandi Noir meets Gormenghast. Just wonderful. Can’t get enough of Tuva Moodyson…’ – Mark Billingham

‘Tuva is a wonderful creation and Dean’s series is not to be missed.’ — Daily Express

‘In the legions of “Scandibrits” – British writers who set their work in the Nordic countries – Will Dean is primus inter pares.’ – Financial Times

 ‘Tuva […] is admirably resilient, full of warmth and humour (as well as having curious gastronomic tastes) and generally manages to identify the murderers who skulk among the strange inhabitants of the region… Her travails may well give sensitive readers nightmares, but that’s a small price to pay for spending time in her exhilarating company.’ – Natasha Cooper, Literary Review

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Hodder & Stoughton snaps up two more standalones from Will Dean

Jo Dickinson, Executive Publisher at Hodder & Stoughton, has acquired two new high-concept standalone thrillers by Will Dean, to be published in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Dickinson bought UK and Commonwealth rights including audio from Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann. The first of these new books is set on a cruise ship, where a woman wakes up in the morning to find she is the only person left on board.

Will’s first standalone novel, THE LAST THING TO BURN was published in January 2021 and received widespread praise. The paperback format publishes in February 2022. The film rights have been optioned by Sigma Films (whose credits include OUTLAW KING, RED ROAD and STARRED UP).

Dean’s second standalone, FIRST BORN, will be published in hardback in April 2022 and will be backed by an ambitious campaign in both the UK and US. A tale of rivalry and deceit, it follows the story of Molly Raven who is attempting to uncover what happened to her twin sister Katie. Could it be murder? She travels to New York City to find out.

Will Dean says: ‘I feel so fortunate to continue working with Jo and the wonderful team at Hodder. I’m glad THE LAST THING TO BURN resonated with readers, and I’m grateful to each and every librarian and bookseller who recommended it. The fact that the amazing people at Sigma Films can now bring the story to screen is a dream come true.’

Kate Burke says: ‘I’m delighted to have this new deal in place with the fantastic Hodder team! It has been a great journey so far and this is just the beginning – I predict amazing things for Will’s next books.’

Jo Dickinson says: ‘Working alongside Will on the brilliant THE LAST THING TO BURN and FIRST BORN has been an absolute joy and I’m delighted to have acquired two new novels. Will is an exceptional writer. He has so many fans already and I believe these new books will take him to even greater heights.’

Will’s Tuva Moodyson series will continue to be published by Oneworld.

Praise for THE LAST THING TO BURN and FIRST BORN:

‘MISERY meets ROOM… a triumph!’ – Marian Keyes

‘THE LAST THING TO BURN is one of the best thrillers I have read in years: I consumed it in great gulps, desperate to find out how Thanh Dao’s story played out, and then read it again, more slowly, savouring her courage and her unvanquished sense of self, despite everything.’ — Alison Flood, Observer

‘THE LAST THING TO BURN is a remarkable exploration of the misery of life on the fringes of society. Unrelenting tense and chilling, yet impossible to put down, the reader lives every second with Thahn, desperately hoping she can escape the monstrous Lenn. This thriller is a level above anything Dean has written before and an early contender for one of the best books of the year.’ — Sunday Express

‘Equal parts murder mystery and psychological thriller, Will Dean dazzles with FIRST BORN. A tense, taut plot that blows through unexpected twists and turns, you won't be able to look away until the final, shattering page.’ – Julie Clark

‘Tiptoes into Highsmith territory here. Pacy, exhilarating and jaw-dropping, it's a meditation on identity and loneliness as well as a bloody good page-turner. New York buffets the characters about its ruthless streets, just as the reader is propelled from one twist to the next’ – Erin Kelly

Photo: Rosalind Hobley

About Will Dean:

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying law at the LSE, and working many varied jobs in London, he settled in rural Sweden with his wife. He built a wooden house in a boggy forest clearing and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes.

DARK PINES, the first in the Tuva Moodyson series, was published to huge critical acclaim in 2018,  shortlisted for Not the Booker prize, selected for Zoe Ball’s TV Book Club and named as a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year. The second Tuva Moodyson mystery, RED SNOW, won Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers' Awards, 2019, and was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2020. His third novel, BLACK RIVER, was chosen as Observer Thriller of the Month.

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HODDER & STOUGHTON ACQUIRES KATE THOMPSON’S THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY

Hodder & Stoughton will publish THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY by Kate Thompson, based on a real-life underground library at Bethnal Green during the Second World War.

Women’s fiction publisher Kimberley Atkins bought world English language rights from Kate Burke at The Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. The title will be published in spring 2022.

THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY focuses on the women at the heart of the subterranean community.

Atkins said: ‘I am truly delighted to be publishing another novel from Kate Thompson on the Hodder list—she is a brilliant writer of evocative historical fiction, and I was captivated by this incredible story of friendship, romance, community and hope. Kate writes with meticulous historical detail based on her own research, often speaking to individuals who lived through the period and can give a first-hand account of what everyday life was like during the war. It’s a privilege to be publishing THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY, and to give a voice to some of the brave women on the home front.’

Thompson commented: ‘World War Two reconfigured the literary landscape. The unique challenges presented to the librarian at Britain's only underground shelter library, built 80 feet underground, next to the tracks at Bethnal Green Underground has had a powerful hold on my imagination since I discovered its existence in an old photograph. I can't wait to dig deeper into the 'Read for Victory' campaign and share this little known slice of social history. THE LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY has found its perfect home at Hodder & Stoughton.’

Thompson's other novels include SECRETS OF THE HOMEFRONT GIRLS (Hodder, 2019), SECRETS OF THE SEWING BEE (Macmillan, 2016) and SECRETS OF THE SINGER GIRLS (Pan, 2015). SECRETS OF THE LAVENDER GIRLS will be published in ebook and audio on 6th August 2020, and in paperback on 21st January 2021.

About Kate Thompson

Kate is an award-winning journalist, ghostwriter and novelist. She spent five years’ working on national newspapers such as the Daily Express and Daily Mail, and also on all the major national woman’s magazine titles. Over the past seven years, she has concentrated on writing fiction and non-fiction titles. Her debut novel, SECRETS OF THE SINGER GIRLS, was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2015, with first week sales of over 10,000. It has recently been optioned by Bandit Television.

Kate's first non-fiction book, which uncovers the lives of extraordinary women of wartime East End, THE STEPNEY DOORSTEP SOCIETY, was published by Penguin (Michael Joseph) in February 2019 and reached number one in the history categories on Amazon.

Praise for Kate Thompson

'An important glimpse into a vanishing world' - Sunday Express

'Inspiring tales of courage in the face of hardship' - Mail on Sunday

‘I loved this book, so filled with life and compassion and the sadness of wartime. Kate has caught the idioms and spirit of those tough women and the characters just danced off the page’ — Leah Fleming, author of THE OLIVE GARDEN CHOIR

'Crammed full of fascinating stories' - BBC 2 Steve Wright

‘Astonishing’ – Radio 5 Live

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HODDER & STOUGHTON TO PUBLISH FOUR MORE BOOKS IN JULIAN STOCKWIN’S KYDD SERIES

Hodder & Stoughton have signed a deal to publish a further four books in the Kydd series by Julian Stockwin. The series tells the story of a young wigmaker’s son, Thomas Kydd, who is press-ganged to sea. As he rises through the decks, his adventures take him around the world. Published in many countries around the world, this is the first series to highlight the common seaman in the great age of fighting sail. 

The first of the four titles and book 22 in the series, TO THE EASTERN SEAS, will be published in hardback, e-book and audio in October 2019. The subsequent Kydd tales will then be released every nine months.

Breaking news for US fans: TYGER (Book 16) and INFERNO (Book 17) are now available to purchase in audio in the US too.

About the Author:

At 14, Stockwin joined a tough sea-training school, followed by the Royal Navy, transferring to the Royal Australian Navy when his family emigrated.  He saw active service in the Far East, the Antarctic, the South Seas and Vietnam, and was on board the Melbourne at the time of its disastrous peace time collision with the Voyager.  Later he worked for NATO on the strategic deployment of merchant shipping.

Praise for Julian Stockwin:

‘The preeminent living historical naval fiction writer on either side of the Atlantic.’ — Quarterdeck

‘A master teller of grand historical fiction tales. Pick one, any one, and you will be highly entertained…He writes brilliantly, bringing wonderful characters to life.’ — Booksville

‘In his hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world.’ — The Guardian

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