THE YOUNG TEAM by Graeme Armstrong picked up for adaptation by Synchronicity Films

April 19, 2021 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We are thrilled to announce that Graeme Armstrong’s bestselling novel has been optioned by Scottish production company Synchronicity Films, the producers behind THE CRY.

THE YOUNG TEAM was published by Picador in 2020 and follows Azzy on his journey through teenagehood, as he spirals into the world of addiction and gangs, and discovers that getting out isn’t easy. Synchronicity’s adaptation will be headed up by emerging writer Ben Tagoe and BAFTA-winning Adrian McDowall is attached to direct.

Graeme Armstrong said: “I am absolutely buzzing to be working with Claire Mundell at Synchronicity and the team to develop ‘The Young Team’ for the screen. Their understanding of the landscape, both geographical and cultural, has made for an exciting coming together of multiple talents. Screenwriter Ben Tagoe has first-hand understanding of the transition of U.K. youth culture from ’80s terrace casuals and rave pioneers into the new and darker world of ‘00s Scottish young team gang culture. His experiences and voice are akin to my own, Already, there is a deep respect for this story, shared responsibility around working-class representation and the handling of important themes of gang violence, poverty, addiction and mental health. I cannot wait to see Synchronicity bring it to life. ‘The Young Team’ is in very safe hands.”

Praise for THE YOUNG TEAM:

'Raw and lyrical . . . written in a voice that recalls Irvine Welsh and Alan Warner - dialect that fizzes off the page.' - The Observer

'Graeme Armstrong's debut novel is an instant Scottish classic.' - The Skinny

'Vivid, dynamic and sharp as a whip.' - Janice Galloway, author of The Trick is to Keep Breathing

'[A] gripping debut novel . . . [Armstrong] is quite a phenomenon . . . one of the most admired young voices in British fiction.' - Mike Wade, The Times

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH BY MONIQUE ROFFEY LONGLISTED FOR THE ONDAATJE PRIZE

April 15, 2021 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We are thrilled that Monique’s Roffey’s THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH has been longlisted for the 2021 RSL Ondaatje Prize. Also longlisted are: James Boyce, Michael Crawley, Catherine Fletcher, Michelle Gallen, Ruth Gilligan, Louise Hare, Adam Mars-Jones, Catherine O’Donoghue, Nina Mingya Powles, James Rebanks, Gareth E. Rees and Francesca Wade.

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH was published to wide acclaim by Peepal Tree Press in the UK in April 2020. It was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize and the Folio Prize and won both the Costa Novel Award and the Costa Book of the Year Award 2020. It has also been shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses and longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Translation rights have been sold in Germany, Holland, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Hungary, Turkey and Russia, with offering in other markets under way and a film deal being concluded.

The RSL Ondaatje Prize, with a value of £10,000, is awarded to the author of a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry which evokes the spirit of a place. It is awarded by The Royal Society of Literature, which aims to honour and support emerging and established writers while creating a bridge between authors and audiences to engage as many people as possible with the breadth of UK literature. The shortlist of the 2021 Ondaatje Prize will be announced on 27th April and the winner will be announced on 11th May. Past winners include Roger Robinson with A Portable Paradise, Aida Edemariam with The Wife’s Tale: A Personal History, Pascale Petite with Mama Amazonica and Francis Spufford with Golden Hill.

A vivid, moving story of love and trust, family and friendship in a Caribbean island community, THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH is a world brought to unforgettable life by a master storyteller. A fisherman sings to himself in his boat, but attracts an unexpected sea-dweller — Aycayia, a beautiful young woman cursed to live as a mermaid, swimming the ocean for centuries. Theirs becomes a calm, unspoken bond. But when she hears David’s engine again one day and follows the vessel, she finds herself in a fierce battle for her life. Caught by American sports fishermen, she is strung up on the dock as a trophy, but David rescues her, and gently wins her trust as she starts to transform, painfully, back into a woman. But jealous eyes are watching them…

Interwoven with David and Aycayia’s love story is that of Miss Arcadia Rain, a white landowner bringing up her deaf son on a dwindling estate. As her young son connects with fellow outsider Aycayia, an old lover of Arcadia’s returns to the island and she too begins to feel her way into love and trust again.

See more about THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH on the Peepal Tree Press site and read an interview with Monique Roffey here.

Praise for THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH

‘Monique Roffey is a unique talent and most daring and versatile of writers.’ — Bernardine Evaristo

‘THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH arrives bearing tragedy and beauty. Monique Roffey has created a new myth for an age of ruined oceans. She continues to be one of our most exciting new Caribbean voices.’ — A.L. Kennedy

‘Monique Roffey is a writer of verve, vibrancy and compassion, and her work is always a joy to read.’ — Sarah Hall

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH is wonderfully written, with both soul and intense drama – it glistens almost, like the mermaid! I love its all-round charisma and also its great compassion for both humanity and the natural world.’ — Diana Evans

‘THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH is like a lost myth, found, and made fresh again for our times.’ — Tessa McWatt, author of Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging

About Monique Roffey

Monique Roffey is an award-winning novelist. House of Ashes (Scribner UK) was shortlisted for the Costa and the BOCAS Prize. Archipelago, winner of the OCM BOCAS prize for Caribbean Literature, was published by Scribner in the UK, Viking in the US, and translated into 5 languages. Her second novel The White Woman on the Green Bicycle was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and the Encore Prize, among other accolades, and film/TV rights have been optioned.

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THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY by Annie Robertson acquired by Welbeck

April 14, 2021 Intern BlakeFriedmann

THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY final cover.jpg

We are thrilled that Welbeck will publish THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY by Annie Robertson. Jon Elek acquired UK & Commonwealth (excl. Canada) rights in a pre-empt from Juliet Pickering, in a three-book deal. Welbeck will publish THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY on 8th July 2021, followed by CHRISTMAS AT LOBSTER BAY in October 2021. The audio editions will be published by Ulverscroft.

When Emma sees The Guesthouse at Lobster Bay for sale online, she knows it is exactly the peaceful haven and fresh start she needs to recover from a recent trauma. Yet the moment she picks up the keys, Emma's dream of owning a successful guesthouse begins to unravel...

Emma has one month to get the handsome guesthouse with stunning sea views in order before her first guests arrive at the beginning of June, a task made all the harder by the discovery that the previous owner has included her elderly and enormous dog in the sale. And then there's the next-door neighbour, Aidan, the local boat-builder – self-assured and unwelcoming – who Emma must turn to for help in a crisis. As Emma and Aidan work together to get the guesthouse ready, they grow closer, but then Aidan is called away and Emma has to carry on, alone.

Over the course of the summer, Emma must navigate unforeseen dilemmas and new friendships, and keep her business afloat. But as she falls in love with Lobster Bay, is she also falling for Aidan?

THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY is a gorgeous, summery read, full of fun, romance, and the perfect escape.

Jon Elek says: ‘Annie Robertson has written an incredible escapist romance that moves the genre forward - she writes with wisdom and conviction about women-in-crisis and the ups and downs of the geographical cure. The Lobster Bay trilogy is a terrific new addition to the genre.’

Annie Robertson says: ‘Signing a three-book deal with Welbeck during the pandemic was above and beyond my wildest expectations. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work with this new, ambitious and innovative team, and to have the chance to invite readers into the Scottish idyll that is Lobster Bay.’

Juliet Pickering says: ‘I loved Emma’s story of pursuing a dream and starting over in THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY, and Annie’s voice is fresh, warm and funny. I can’t wait for readers to visit this friendly, quirky seaside town, and fall in love along with Emma and Aidan.’

Praise for THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY

‘This is such an involving and heart-warming book that it made me wish I could book into Emma’s guesthouse myself!’ – Sue Moorcroft

About Annie Robertson

Annie Robertson trained in London as a classical musician, then worked as an assistant for an Oscar winner, an acclaimed artist, a PR mogul and a Beatle. After several years of running errands for the rich and famous, she went to medical school where, hiding novels in anatomy textbooks, she discovered her true passion for writing, and went on to complete a Creative Writing MA with distinction. She is the author of MY MAMMA MIA SUMMER, IF HARRY MET SALLY AGAIN, and FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FESTIVAL, published by Orion.

Pre-order THE GUESTHOUSE AT LOBSTER BAY

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ANTIEMETIC FOR HOMESICKNESS by Romalyn Ante shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2021

April 13, 2021 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We are thrilled that Romalyn Ante’s poetry collection ANTIEMETIC FOR HOMESICKNESS has been shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize 2021. Also shortlisted are Inferno by Catherine Cho, My Darling from the Lions by Rachel Long, The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, Are We Home Yet by Katy Massey, and Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez.

First awarded in 2017, the Jhalak Prize exists to celebrate writers of colour and accepts entries from British or British-resident writers of colour in any genre. Past winners are Jacob Ross, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Guy Gunaratne and Johny Pitts. The winner will be revealed on 25th May.

ANTIEMETIC FOR HOMESICKNESS was published by Chatto & Windus in 2020. It was also longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize earlier this year.

The poems in Romalyn Ante's luminous debut build a bridge between two worlds: journeying from the country 'na nagluwal sa 'yo' – that gave birth to you – to a new life in the United Kingdom.

Steeped in the richness of Filipino folklore, and studded with Tagalog, these poems speak of the ache of assimilation and the complexities of belonging, telling the stories of generations of migrants who find exile through employment - through the voices of the mothers who leave and the children who are left behind.

With dazzling formal dexterity and emotional resonance, this expansive debut offers a unique perspective on family, colonialism, homeland and heritage: from the countries we carry with us, to the places we call home.

‘Captivating . . . playful . . . moving, witty and agile . . . These poems have a tended quality, as though Ante's kindness as a nurse extended to them. She is an unforced poet with a lightness of touch and fortitude, not neglecting to see her situation within a wider cultural and historical context’ – Observer Poetry Book of the Month

‘Ante's poems are like embers, pared back to a slow-burning emotional core whose intensity she sustains elegantly throughout the collection’ – Times Literary Supplement

Romalyn Ante grew up in the Philippines until she migrated to the UK when she was 16 years old. She is a West Midland-based poet and co-founding editor of harana poetry. She is also a poetry editor at Ambit magazine. Her debut pamphlet, Rice & Rain (V Press), received the 2018 Saboteur Award for Best Poetry Pamphlet. Apart from being a writer, she also works full-time as a specialist nurse practitioner. She is working on a memoir.

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THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2021

April 9, 2021 Intern BlakeFriedmann

We are thrilled that Monique Roffey’s THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH has been longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2021. Delia Jarrett-Macauley, the Chair of Judges, commented on the longlist: ‘Ranging from the quietly political to overt explorations of issues such as war, race and climate change, these twelve novels demonstrate that politics is not just a question of the intellect, but of the imagination too.’ The other authors on the longlist are Xiaolu Guo, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Colum McCann, Rumaan Alam, Curtis Sittenfeld, Douglas Stuart, Ali Smith, Sarah Moss, Akwaeke Emezi, Brit Bennett and Jenny Offill.

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH was published to wide acclaim by Peepal Tree Press in the UK in April 2020. It was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize and the Folio Prize and won both the Costa Novel Award and the Costa Book of the Year Award 2020. It has also been shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses and longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. Translation rights have been sold in Germany, Holland, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Hungary, Turkey and Russia, with offering in other markets under way and a film deal being concluded.

The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction is one of four prizes awarded by the Orwell Foundation, and rewards outstanding novels and collections of short stories first published in the UK that illuminate major social and political themes, present or past, through the art of narrative. The fiction prize was first awarded in June 2019, when the Orwell Book Prize was replaced with separate prizes for fiction and non-fiction books. The past winners are Colson Whitehead, for The Nickel Boys, and Anna Burns, for Milkman. The shortlists will be announced at the end of May and the winners of each of the £3,000 prizes will be announced around George Orwell’s birthday on 25th June.