Edward Carey’s brilliant LITTLE to Riverhead in the US

North American rights to Edward Carey’s ‘wondrous pageant of a novel’ LITTLE have been acquired in a significant deal by Cal Morgan of Riverhead Books, who will publish in 2018. Aardvark Bureau, the world fiction imprint of the Belgravia Books Collective, will also publish LITTLE in the UK in Autumn 2018.

Carey’s return to writing for adults, after his acclaimed IREMONGER trilogy for younger readers (chosen by The New York Times, NPR, and Kirkus for their Best Books of the Year and now optioned for film), traces the fascinating life of a young Swiss girl, Marie Grosholtz, who would go on to become famous for her waxworks as Madame Tussaud.

Marie’s extraordinary career started in Berne, Switzerland, in the household of Dr Philippe Curtius. A physician skilled in creating anatomical wax models, it was Curtius who taught Tussaud the art of wax modelling and took her to pre-revolutionary France. During the French Revolution she was imprisoned and narrowly escaped execution – but cast the heads of many of those who were not so lucky...

Far from being a chamber of horrors, Edward Carey’s telling of Marie’s story is an affecting and exuberant tale crossing countries and covering a tumultuous period in history, told through the eyes of a cast of quirky and sympathetic characters. It is an unconventional love story, the tale of a woman’s rise to success against the odds, and a hymn to the strange beauty of the human body.

The text will be peppered with the author’s haunting illustrations.  Edward has drawn international praise both for his imaginative novels and their original imagery and his Italian publisher has had several exhibitions of his work for the illustrations from HEAP HOUSE, FOULSHAM and LUNGDON, the Iremonger trilogy.  

Cal Morgan said:

‘I’m so thrilled to be able to bring Edward Carey and LITTLE, his wondrous pageant of a novel, to Riverhead. Many of us here had followed Edward since the days of OBSERVATORY MANSIONS; others still have his illustrations for HEAP HOUSE fixed fondly to their walls. But this is the book Edward was born to write: a cavalcade of artists and eccentrics, rogues, royals, and radicals, set against the roil of the French Revolution. And at its centre, the tiny strong fierce little girl named Marie, nicknamed Little, eventually celebrated by the world as Madame Tussaud. It’s a book that brings me joy whenever I think of it – which is constantly. And I’m delighted we have a chance to bring it to American readers.’

Edward Carey said:

‘I could not be happier that the extraordinarily wise and brilliant Calvert Morgan will be the editor on LITTLE. It's taken me fifteen years to get here with this book and I can't believe how lucky I am that it has fallen into such exceptional US hands. I'm drawing furiously every day for it. Over the years I never dreamed that this might be the outcome, I'm completely overjoyed that Riverhead will publish this story about a diminutive woman who lived in a cupboard in Versailles and got to hold most of the famous heads of the French Revolution after they'd been disconnected from their bodies.’

Isobel Dixon, Edward’s agent at Blake Friedmann, said:

‘It’s a thrill to make this journey with the plucky, perspicacious Marie aka Little and her comrades, who are much loved in the agency. I’m delighted that Cal Morgan will be introducing her to North American readers, joining Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce of Aardvark Bureau in the UK. It’s an unfolding pleasure following the wonders from Edward Carey’s pen as he shares his drawings on Twitter every day, further illuminating this incredible story. So, happy meetings all round – and many more international adventures to follow!’

Alongside the IREMONGER trilogy (UK: Hot Key; US: Overlook; Canada: HarperCollins and many other markets in translation), Edward Carey is the author of two previous works of literary fiction – OBSERVATORY MANSIONS (Picador, 2000, shortlisted for the Borders Discover New Writers Award) and ALVA AND IRVA (Picador, 2003, longlisted for the IMPAC).  

Follow Edward Carey on Twitter – and see his daily illustrations for LITTLE!

Visit Edward Carey's website

Praise for Edward Carey:

‘Delightful, eccentric, heartfelt, surprising, philosophical’ - Eleanor Catton

‘It's hard to imagine a better subject for Edward Carey's particular genius than the life of Madame Tussaud’ - Charles Lambert

‘Edward Carey is an enormously talented writer’ - Publishers Weekly

‘Edward Carey is one of the strangest writers we are privileged to have in this country’ - Observer

‘Carey writes with such persuasive authority, and we are inclined to believe him’ - New York Times Review of Books

‘If this were music, Carey would be Eric Satie. If it were film, he would be Tim Burton’ - Newsday

‘Conveyed with so much sympathy and acute observation that it is hard not to be beguiled’ - The Times

Carole Blake Open Doors Programme: Live that Publishing Dream

by Ada Igwegbu

Ada on the Hachette rooftop, at the Kim Scott Walwyn Awards

From the outside, and when I say outside I mean the furthest corners of the non-literary world (namely the oil-centric city of Aberdeen, Scotland), publishing appears impossibly closed. The stories that enshrine the industry, paradoxically, shield it from the public. One of those stories is that to participate in publishing—to be an editor, because we are told that this is the one, shining trophy of publishing jobs—you must already belong to the privileged class. If Daddy cannot get you the job, you simply cannot do it. If you do not have relatives in publishing, if you are not middle class and Oxbridge-educated, if you are not London-bred, publishing simply is not for you. However, one thing that we often forget about stories is that they do not always reflect all facets of the truth. Somewhere along the line, the truth gets twisted, skewed and repeated and twisted and skewed and repeated and repeated, and so on. When I first, seriously, considered a career in publishing earlier this year, these stories were the substance of my largest fear. With no literary connections, a pending-geology degree and nowhere to live in London, how could I work in publishing?

Fast forward to now—June, roughly half way through 2017—and I realise that that fear is not strictly necessary. If I had to give one word to describe my experience on the Carole Blake Open Doors Programme, I would have to use “comforting”. It was a comforting experience. Not the most obvious choice of words maybe, but what struck me most while at Blake Friedmann was how haphazardly everyone sort of tumbled into their careers. Tens of interesting, different people in different corners of the industry from publishing houses to literary agents from all over the UK, and in some cases all over Europe, getting a job on the back of chance, and becoming associate agents, editors, publicists, sales managers, marketers. Altogether, there was a lot of failure, a lot of rejections but a lot of hard work and a lot of hope. For me, this is extremely comforting. The message is clear: try, try and try again. Apply, apply, apply. Get your foot in the door, even if that means working for your dream company in a less-than-dreamy role. Mobility is common: people come, go, swap round and come back again, so that first job, whatever it is, may be the ticket to the gold. We often talk about the publishing ‘industry’ when really there should be more mention of the publishing ‘community’. People within the community recognise how difficult it can be, particularly when you are first starting out, and if you work well, there will be always be a myriad of people to support you and guide you in your career. Publishing really is the most friendly of industries.

Interning at Blake Friedmann solidified the vision of friendliness within publishing. Everyone at Blake Friedmann was incredibly generous with their time and willing to explain what foreign rights involved, the negotiation process for new books, what contracts look like and try to do for authors but also, what is next for them and how they hope to grow in their careers. The Carole Blake Open Doors Programme gives interns the opportunity to meet and speak with people involved at different parts of the publishing process, many of whom started off their careers as interns at Blake Friedmann. Over the course of the fortnight, I shadowed literary agents, met authors, spoke to publicists, marketers, editors, sales managers from independent organisations like Jacaranda Publishing and Allen & Unwin to imprints of larger publishers, such as Picador, Two Roads, Hodder, and even Amazon. On more sedentary days at the agency, I read submissions and wrote copy for their website. I was even fortunate enough to go down to Brighton for the Peter James launch party! The experience covered everything I could possibly hope for, and it was made even more accessible through the kindness of David Hicks and The Book Trade Charity, who were so wonderful and provided accommodation during my time in London.

All in all, the Carole Blake Open Doors Programme was a whirlwind of a time—a real door-flinging-wide experience, one which I thoroughly enjoyed and would encourage anyone and everyone to get involved with. Forget Daddy’s connections or an Oxbridge degree; what you really need is a fervent desire to press books into readers’ palms and the drive to work to make that happen.

If you are passionate about good books and want to get into publishing, apply to the Carole Blake Open Doors Programme, join the Society of Young Publishers, scour the Bookseller for jobs. Your publishing story starts with you.

Visit THE GIN SHACK ON THE BEACH: New novel from Catherine Miller published today!

THE GIN SHACK ON THE BEACH, the first in a new series by Catherine Miller, is published today in ebook by HQ Digital. This is the perfect summer read: a story of friendship, defiance, and the quest for the perfect gin and tonic.

You’re never too old to try something new!

When octogenarian Olive Turner is persuaded by her son to move into a retirement home, she congratulates herself on finding the secret to an easy life: no washing up, cooking or cleaning. But Olive isn’t one for mindless bingo with her fellow residents, and before the first day is over she's already hatching a plan to escape back to her beloved beach hut and indulge in her secret passion for a very good gin & tonic.

Before long Olive’s secret is out and turning into something wonderful and new. Only a select few are invited, but word spreads quickly about the weekly meetings of The Gin Shack Club. Soon everybody on the beach wants to become a gin connoisseur and join Olive on her journey to never being forced to grow older than you feel.

Praise for THE GIN SHACK ON THE BEACH:

“Immensely entertaining, utterly enjoyable from the first page to the last and downright brilliant! Hugely inspiring and absolutely charming” – Kim Nash

About the author:

When Catherine Miller became a mum to twins, she decided her hands weren't full enough so wrote a novel with every spare moment she managed to find. By the time the twins were two, Catherine had a two-book deal with Carina UK. There is a possibility she has aged remarkably in that time. Her debut novel, Waiting For You, came out in March 2016.

Catherine was a NHS physiotherapist, but for health reasons (Uveitis and Sarcoidosis) she retired early from this career. As she loved her physiotherapy job, she decided if she couldn't do that she would pursue her writing dream. It took a few years and a couple of babies, but in 2015 she won the Katie Fforde bursary, was a finalist in the London Book Fair Write Stuff Competition and highly commended in Woman magazine's writing competition. Soon afterwards she signed with Carina. Soon after that, she collapsed in a heap and was eventually revived by chocolate.

Build your mental fitness with THE MIND WORKOUT by Mark Freeman, published today!

It's well known that if you want to keep your body fit, you must do some regular exercise. But when it comes to our mental health, few of us take the time to maintain and improve it. Luckily today Piatkus publish THE MIND WORKOUT by Mark Freeman, a ground-breaking new method for improving your mental health and fitness in just Twenty Steps.

Developed as a result of Mark Freeman's own recovery from mental illness, THE MIND WORKOUT: TWENTY STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE combines mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It outlines twenty easy-to-follow steps you can take to free yourself from the ways of thinking and behaving that cause mental health challenges in your life - from cutting out the compulsions that cause uncertainty, anxiety and distress to relieving stress and distraction.

THE MIND WORKOUT is the key to making the switch from a frenetic, anxiety-driven life to one that's based on your core values. It will leave you feeling mentally stronger, fitter and better equipped to navigate the complexities of everyday life.

THE MIND WORKOUT is also published in audiobook.

US rights to the book recently sold at auction to Carole Desanti at Penguin, who will publish in a new edition in 2018. Other rights are sold in German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Serbian.

About the author

Mark Freeman is a mental health coach and human centered design workshop facilitator based in Toronto. He has taught Shakespeare's plays in Korea, tended gardens in Spain, filmed an Arabic-language documentary on youth employment in Cairo, and facilitated strategy workshops for executives at multiple Fortune 500 companies. After recovering from several mental illness diagnoses, he now focuses on leveraging technology and design to help others navigate the complex changes necessary to improve and maintain great mental health and fitness. He is the co-founder of the online mental health community, EVERYBODY HAS A BRAIN, and he is a Stanford Medicine X ePatient Scholar. His favourite past-times include sitting and breathing.

WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT by Sheila O’Flanagan PUBLISHED TODAY BY HEADLINE

Sunday Times and Irish Times bestselling author Sheila O'Flanagan's gripping new novel WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT is published in the UK and Ireland today by Headline! Audiobook fans can also download the audiobook, read by popular O’Flanagan narrator Aoife McMahon.

Sometimes two wrongs do make a right...

Then: Lola Fitzpatrick is bright and ambitious, but also headstrong and stubborn, a young woman with big dreams. When she catches the eye of wealthy jeweller Philip Warren, she can't resist his charm and confidence. Could life get any better? Not everyone is convinced... But then everything changes, and Lola is faced with decisions that will have long-term consequences she can't even begin to imagine.

Now: Bey has inherited Lola's determined nature, but her impulsive decisions place her in danger. A shocking family tragedy forces her to fly to Dublin from beautiful Cordoba, Spain, and meet the Warren family. As she uncovers the difficult choices her mother made many years ago, Bey has to decide who she wants to be: a woman defined by the mistakes of the past, or someone brave enough to risk everything for the future she's always wanted.

Sheila’s most recent novel THE MISSING WIFE, published in paperback on 9 March, has been a huge success, shooting to the No. 1 bestseller spot in Ireland and No. 4 in the Sunday Times Paperback Fiction list in its first week of sales. The paperback has now sold over 35,000 copies in the UK, and has broken the Irish writer’s already impressive record for the number of weeks in Ireland’s Top 5. It is currently at No. 4 on the Irish fiction paperback list. In Australia and New Zealand THE MISSING WIFE and MY MOTHER’S SECRET also hit No. 1 and No. 2 on the iBooks Charts this week.

THE MISSING WIFE will be published in the US in February 2018 by Grand Central, and rights have been sold in the Czech Republic, Russia, Estonia and Germany.

WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT is another sure-fire bestseller and has already received enthusiastic five-star reviews on Amazon:

‘It is not the conventional romcom. The heroine genuinely is not dependent on a man (unlike most of her romcom contemporaries who might shout about independence and feminism but fall into the hero's arms with remarkable ease) and lives life on her own terms. I hope this is an indication of where the top end of the romcom genre is heading. I shall be looking out for more books by Sheila O’Flanagan.’

‘I very much enjoyed the complexity of the relationships with the characters, not just with Bey and Lola, but with their extended wealthy family. A fantastic read, you won’t put it down.’

Sheila O’Flanagan is the award-winning author of over twenty novels, including THE MISSING WIFE, MY MOTHER’S SECRET, IF YOU WERE ME, ALL FOR YOU (winner of the Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year Award) and BAD BEHAVIOUR, as well as the bestselling short story collections DESTINATIONS, CONNECTIONS and A SEASON TO REMEMBER.

In 2016 Hodder Children’s Books published THE CRYSTAL RUN, her first book for younger readers. The paperback came out in May 2017, with the follow-up THE CRYSTAL RUN: SHIELD OF LIES due in 2018.

Sheila was awarded the prestigious Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in 2003, and currently lives in Dublin with her husband. Her books have sold over 6.5 million copies in English alone.

See more on Sheila’s website.

Follow Sheila on Twitter

Praise for THE MISSING WIFE:

‘Another first class bestseller. I read the book in one sitting as it was so enjoyable, full of romance and kept you riveted until the last page. A must for all Sheila's fans.’ – Woman's Way

‘A smart and twisty yarn.’ – Heat

‘O'Flanagan's lightness of touch and gentle characterisations have produced another fine read; an ideal addition to that summer holiday.’ – Sunday Express

‘A lovely book that will keep you guessing right up until the end.’ – Bella

‘Insightful, witty and full of fun... This is touching, tense and clever writing.’ – Irish Independent

‘This GONE GIRL-esque novel will have you gripped until the very end ****.’ – Look

‘Must-read’ – Daily Express