DEON MEYER’S DEAD BEFORE DYING ENTERS PRODUCTION IN CAPE TOWN

An international co-production based on Deon Meyer’s first crime novel Dead Before Dying has begun filming in Cape Town, SA. The English language 6-part series is being produced by All In Productions and Out of Africa Entertainment.

The series centres on Deon’s Mat Joubert character as he is paired with a new partner, Sanctus Snook, to investigate a series of murders in the Cape Province concerning a group of aspiring European models lured to the Cape of Good Hope with the promise of photo shoots and lucrative appearance fees.

Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim plays Joubert, with Resident Evil star Boris Kodjoe taking the role of Snook. The series has been adapted by Anna Tebbe and will be directed by Peter Ladkani. Annette Reeker, Zeljko Karajica and Samantha Putter will executive produce.

ANY OTHER MOUTH LONGLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL SHORT STORY PRIZE

Anneliese Mackintosh’s powerful debut novel, ANY OTHER MOUTH has been longlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize 2015. The shortlist will be released in May, and the winners announced at an award ceremony on 2 July at the Free World Centre, London. Nominees will compete for the main prize of £5,000.

ANY OTHER MOUTH is a collection of powerful short stories involving a young woman, Gretchen, and her search for identity, happiness and self-discovery. It was published by Freight Books in June 2014 and has since received wonderful reviews. ANY OTHER MOUTH won the Green Carnation Prize, was shortlisted for the Saltire Society’s First Book Award and longlisted for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award.

Anneliese Mackintosh was born in Germany and now lives in Manchester where she writes, performs, works and teaches.

Praise for ANY OTHER MOUTH:

‘Mackintosh is a real talent and ANY OTHER MOUTH is a remarkable debut.’ - The Independent

‘Beautifully crafted snapshots… one of the UK’s most exciting new voices.’ - The List

‘Among the most important debuts of the year… by turns funny, affecting, heartening and strange, this is a hugely impressive first book.’ – Global Civilian

Allison & Busby announce acquisition of Julian Stockwin's THE CRAKYS OF WAR

Allison & Busby are pleased to announce the acquisition of a new historical novel from Julian Stockwin, THE CRAKYS OF WAR.

This is the second in a sequence of stand‐alone novels that will dramatise pivotal historical discoveries. THE SILK TREE, Julian Stockwin’s first stand‐alone novel, was published by Allison & Busby in November 2014. Publishing Director Susie Dunlop bought UK + Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to this much‐anticipated follow‐up from Carole Blake at Blake Friedmann.

THE CRAKYS OF WAR opens with a returned envoy to China meeting an English scholar in Oxford in the mid 13th century to share a deadly secret. They vow that the knowledge of gunpowder must die with them as the consequences otherwise are too terrible to contemplate.  The novel tells the story of its re‐discovery, one man's obsession with the powder of death, and Edward III’s determination to use it to his advantage.  He does so at the Battle of Crecy, the first full-scale battle at which guns are deployed in the field.  The nature of warfare is changed forever, and the world hears the death-knell of Knightly chivalry.

Susie Dunlop said: ‘We have been honoured to work with an author of Julian’s calibre and professionalism, and I am thrilled we will have a second novel in 2016.  Working closely with Julian, his wife Kathy and agent Carole Blake, we look forward to building on our success with THE SILK TREE, and bringing this new book to Julian’s legions of fans’

Julian Stockwin said: ‘It is a pleasure to be working with the talented team at Allison & Busby again – on this exciting new perspective on the brutal mediaeval world of war from which emerged the modern age.’

Carole Blake said: ‘I was delighted with the commitment that Allison & Busby brought to their publishing of THE SILK TREE (and to the production values of the beautiful finished book) so am very happy to have another deal with them.’

For further information please contact Susie Dunlop: susie@allisonandbusby.com

For rights information please contact Carole Blake: carole@blakefriedmann.co.uk

Clare Best’s THE MISSING LIST is a finalist for the Mslexia Memoir Prize

Clare Best’s brilliant and moving memoir THE MISSING LIST has been selected as one of three finalists for the 2015 Mslexia Memoir Prize. The prize is worth £5,000 and is for previously unpublished women memoirists. The prize was judged by Julie Myerson (memoirist, novelist), Jenny Brown (literary agent) and Jane Martinson (Women's Editor, Guardian). The winners were announced in the March issue of Mslexia.

Andrew O'Hagan describes the memoir as ‘A tapestry of time – brightly coloured, beautifully orchestrated, emotionally pure.’

Clare Best has worked as a bookbinder, a bookseller, an editor and a Creative Writing teacher. She is currently Writer in Residence at the University of Brighton. Clare is a prize-winning poet and the author of three poetry publications – TREASURE GROUND (HappenStance 2009), BREASTLESS (Pighog 2011) and EXCISIONS (Waterloo 2011) which was shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Centre Prize 2012.

Praise for Clare Best:

‘Clare Best writes of the things of the world, and of the moments in our lives, as if they bear within them secrets of mortality that words will never quite have the power to reveal. She writes with scruple and clarity, listening always for the unsaid and the unsayable, watching for the passage of flame into darkness.’ – Michael Hulse

 ‘Clare Best’s poetry dazzles with the clarity of its chiseled phrases and its measured form. Perhaps the confessional narrative it tells, of encounters with mortality through the loss of her parents and her own preventive double mastectomy, warrants a desire for such poetic control.’ - Eva C. Karpinski, Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme

ORION SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH LIZ FENWICK

The Orion Publishing Group is delighted to announce the acquisition of two new novels by author Liz Fenwick. Kate Mills, Publishing Director at Orion Fiction bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Carole Blake for a good five-figure advance. THE RETURNING TIDE plus one untitled novel, will be published in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Kate said: ‘Liz Fenwick’s novels capture all the mystery and romance of Cornwall and I’m delighted that we will publish THE RETURNING TIDE next summer, and a further novel after that. She is building a loyal, eager readership and we look forward to growing it further with what promises to be a very exciting novel.’

Liz Fenwick said: ‘The team at Orion have been fantastic to work with and I'm thrilled this will continue for the next two books.’

Carole Blake said: ‘Liz and Orion have been a terrific team for the 3 books published so far. She’s recently delivered her strongest novel to date, UNDER A CORNISH SKY, so this is a great time to be renewing our contract with Orion, and the agency is looking forward to adding to the 11 languages she is sold to so far.’

Growing up in Boston, Liz discovered early on that her best friends could be books. While waiting on a place on a Masters degree, she moved to London to see if life looked different from the other side of the Atlantic. It did and she soon fell in love with an Englishman. Now happily married with three children, she spends as much time as possible at her home in Cornwall.

Liz’s new novel, UNDER A CORNISH SKY is published in June this year.

For more information please contact :

Gaby Young at Orion: gaby.young@orionbooks.co.uk

Carole Blake, at Blake Friedmann: carole@blakefriedmann.co.uk