A STREET CAT NAMED BOB released in cinemas natiowide Friday 4th November

Blake Friedmann Media Department is delighted to herald the nationwide cinema release of A STREET CAT NAMED BOB on Friday 4th November.

Two agency clients were involved in the film adaptation of James Bowen’s best-selling book: director Roger Spottiswoode and screenwriter Tim John.

A STREET CAT NAMED BOB is a heartening tale of survival, redemption and an overly inquisitive cat. James Bowen was a heroin addict, struggling to stick to his rehabilitation on a methadone programme in London. That is until Bob, a ginger stray, jumped into his flat and refused to leave.

James and Bob’s new friendship piques the interest of animal loving neighbour Belle, a volunteer at a local charity for vets. Gradually, Bob gives James something to feed other than his own addiction, and when he takes the cat out busking, Bob is an instant hit with the Covent Garden crowds. 

The movie, starring Luke Treadaway and Ruta Gedmintas and featuring the real life ‘Bob’, will be launched by a Royal Premiere screening on Thursday 3rd November attended by HRH the Duchess of Cambridge.

LOVE YOU DEAD AT NO. 2 IN THE PAPERBACK BESTSELLER CHARTS

Peter James’ LOVE YOU DEAD will be No. 2 in the paperback bestseller charts this weekend in its first week of publication. Earlier this year, LOVE YOU DEAD, was No. 1 in the hardback bestseller charts and remained in the Top 10 for 7 weeks. 

This is the 12th book in Peter’s enormously successful Roy Grace series, following YOU ARE DEAD which last year spent a total of 5 weeks at No. 1 and many more in the Top 5. Peter’s standalone THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL was published in paperback in June and spent 3 weeks in the Top 10 bestseller chart. His 30-year-old novel, BILLIONAIRE, was republished in January 2016 and went straight into the chart at No. 8.

Peter James has been twice Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and has won many literary awards: as popular internationally as in the UK, he is published in more than 3 dozen languages. Last year he was voted by WH Smith readers as The Best Crime Author Of All Time. His DS Roy Grace crime novels have sold 18 million copies worldwide. He is currently writing three more Roy Grace novels and two standalones for Macmillan.

LOVE YOU DEAD is also sold in Russia, France, Finland, Israel, Norway and Holland, with many other options publishers for the Roy Grace series.

Praise for Peter James:

'Peter James is one of the best crime writers in the business.' – Karin Slaughter

'Exceptional, knock-your-socks-off.' – Washington Post

‘Sinister and riveting… Peter James is one of the best British crime writers, and therefore one of the best in the world.’ – Lee Child

Find out more about Peter James at Blake Friedmann's, Pan Macmillan's and Peter’s websites and follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

We would like to thank our friends in the industry and beyond, for all the wonderful messages and reminiscences about Carole. It is so heart-warming in a heart-breaking time.

As you can imagine, notes are coming in from everywhere, in every format and social media platform (though we keep wondering why she isn't tweeting updates for us in her inimitable fashion, and compiling a folder of insider tips and guidelines ....).

We are sorry not to be able to acknowledge all the messages personally, but we so appreciate them, and will keep reading through the coming days and our great sadness.

Thank you,

Isobel, Julian, Louise and the Blake Friedmann Team

It is with huge sadness that we must share the news that our beloved mentor, colleague and friend Carole Blake died last night. The loss of such an incredible woman so soon is not something any of us feel prepared for, but we are grateful that she lived so fully to the last, and that she died swiftly and painlessly, on being readmitted to hospital last night, with Julian by her side.

 We will keep friends posted regarding the family’s plans as soon as we can – please bear with us.

 Thank you,

Isobel and Julian and all at Blake Friedmann

4th Estate acquire SLAY IN YOUR LANE: THE Black Girl Bible in 9-way auction

Helen Garnons-Williams, Publishing Director at 4th Estate, has bought SLAY IN YOUR LANE: The Black Girl Bible by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinene, in a hotly-contested auction involving nine publishers, from Juliet Pickering at Blake Friedmann Agency. Rights secured are British Commonwealth excl. Canada. Publication is scheduled for Spring, 2018.

SLAY IN YOUR LANE is a guide to life for a generation of black British women inspired to make Lemonade out of lemons, à la Beyonce. Filling a keenly-felt void in books focused on their experiences, SLAY IN YOUR LANE touches on work, dating, representation, education and health, and takes a look at how being black and female affects each of these areas - as told by a bevy of successful black women. It’s about recognising and celebrating the strides black British women have already made, whilst inspiring those who want to do the same and challenging complacency and status quo to forge a better, visible future.

Infectiously smart, funny and furious, Yomi and Elizabeth are part of an ongoing conversation online about the recent crop of inspirational books, and the women that write them. For them, the question is: where is our voice? Between Sandberg's Lean In and Amoruso's #GirlBoss, what is out there for black British women trying to navigate their formative years in a world in which they're largely sidelined?

SLAY IN YOUR LANE is the answer. Yomi and Elizabeth jump into the conversation on behalf of their friends and themselves, tackling issues unique to being young, female and black. From 25 year-old beauty entrepreneur Florence Adepoju to BAFTA award-winning director Amma Asante, they have tracked down successful black British women across a variety of industries, and have interviewed them throughout the book, pulling them into the spotlight alongside their own experiences. Yomi and Elizabeth hope to highlight the stories of some of the country’s most accomplished and yet simultaneously underrepresented women. 

The idea is to build a bright and brilliant campaign around SLAY IN YOUR LANE, utilising regular media, social media platforms (#SIYL), and spreading the word via the women involved. A call to action for black British women, the book not only aims to motivate and galvanise them but to inspire and enlighten all to the reality of their experiences. 

Yomi and Elizabeth are well aware that black women may have been confined to a proverbial lane. But that doesn’t mean they won’t slay in and outside of it.

www.slayinyourlane.co.uk

Twitter: @slayinyourlane