GRAEME ARMSTRONG WINS TWO SOCIETY OF AUTHORS AWARDS FOR THE YOUNG TEAM

Debut novelist, Graeme Armstrong, has won both a Betty Trask Award and a Somerset Maugham Award, in the annual awards presented by the Society of Authors.

The Betty Trask Award is given to writers under the age of 35, and The Somerset Award recognises books that travel. Judging the Somerset Maugham Award, Fred D'Aguiar said of THE YOUNG TEAM, “The Scottish language thrums and chimes in this novel; the hard lives bang against the anvil of received notions about brutality and vulnerability. The author's ear and empathy align in a universe perfectly pitched to broadcast the best route out of perdition.”

THE YOUNG TEAM was first published by Picador in 2020 to great acclaim, and became a Times Bestseller. Film rights are in development with Synchronicity Films. The novel tells of Azzy Williams, a young man whose character is inspired by Graeme’s own experience:

Azzy Williams is ready. Ready to smoke, pop pills, drink wine and ready to fight. But most of all, he’s ready to do anything for his friends, his gang, his young team.

Round here, in the schemes of the forgotten industrial heartland of Scotland, your mates, your young team – they’re everything.

Azzy Williams is fourteen; a rising star, this is his life and he loves it.
Azzy Williams is seventeen; he’s out of control.
Azzy Williams is twenty-one; he’d like to leave it all behind.
But a way out isn’t easy to find . . .

THE YOUNG TEAM is an energetic novel, full of the loyalty, laughs, mischief, boredom, violence and threat of life on these streets. It looks beyond the tabloid stereotypes to tell a powerful story about the realities of life for young people in Britain today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Graeme Armstrong is a Scottish writer from Airdrie. His teenage years were spent within North Lanarkshire’s gang culture. He was inspired to study English Literature after reading Irvine Welsh’s TRAINSPOTTING at just sixteen. Alongside overcoming his own struggles with drug addiction, alcohol abuse and violence, he defied expectation to read English as an undergraduate at the University of Stirling; where, after graduating with honours, he returned to study a Masters’ in Creative Writing.

He regularly volunteers within the community visiting prisons and schools, giving talks on his experiences of gang-culture and substance abuse. He promotes a message of anti-violence and abstinence-based recovery.

PRAISE FOR THE YOUNG TEAM

“Sharp yet tender and mischievously funny, The Young Team pitches Armstrong straight into the first division of Scottish writers.” - The Guardian

‘Dialect that fizzes off the page’ – Observer

‘One of the most admired young voices in British fiction’ – The Times

PRAISE AND CHART SUCCESS FOR THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL BY SHEILA O’FLANAGAN

Sheila O’Flanagan’s new novel THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL (Headline) jumped straight to Number Two in the Irish Times Bestseller list in its first three days of sale last weekend, and holds that slot after the first full week of sales. The audio edition, read by Aoife McMahon, is also available from Headline.

Head to Sheila’s Facebook page to watch all the wonderful Facebook Lives she’s been hosting, including talking about THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL and her most recent paperback, THE WOMEN WHO RAN AWAY. In her next video (7pm on Friday 4th June), Sheila will chatting with Aoife McMahon about the audio editions of Sheila’s books.

Authors and readers have responded with praise:

 ‘Reading a Sheila O'Flanagan novel always feels like sitting down for a cup of tea with a friend — she writes with such warmth and empathy.’ — Beth O’Leary, author of THE FLATSHARE

‘THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL is an involving, thought-provoking novel and a masterclass in storytelling. I was drawn in from page 1.’ — Sue Moorcroft

Delphine is at a wedding when the shocking news comes. Suddenly her life changes for ever.

Delphine has worked hard for her success, and she knows she's got everything she wants. But not everyone agrees. Her opinionated family aren't convinced that living alone with no plans to 'settle down' could possibly make her truly happy, and no one appreciates it when she drops everything, day or night, whenever her boss Conrad calls. Yet Delphine wouldn't change a thing. And when Conrad makes her a surprise offer, it's clear that her hard work is going to pay off.

A few short days later, Delphine's life is unrecognisable. The man who once broke her heart has suddenly reappeared, and a shocking tragedy turns her world on its head.

Delphine must rethink everything that matters to her, and to those around her, and decide, once and for all, if love, family and a little compromise should come before career, security and independence...and if she's prepared to make that choice.

Sheila’s most recent paperback, THE WOMEN WHO RAN AWAY, had double chart success after it flew to Number Five in the Irish Times bestseller list in March, and Number Seven in the Sunday Times bestseller lists.

About the author

Sheila O’Flanagan is an international bestselling novelist, with more than 9 million copies sold. Numerous novels have been immediate and long-lasting No 1s in Ireland and, UK Top 10 Sunday Times Bestsellers, and she is published in more than 20 languages around the world. Her books have been Number 1 bestsellers in Sweden. She is the recipient of the prestigious Irish Tatler Literary Woman of the Year Award.

More praise for THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL

‘Ideal for the lazy days of summer.’  — What to listen to, read and watch this summer, Irish Examiner

‘With nearly 30 best-sellers, she knows what her readers want . . . A perfect deckchair delight.’ —Peterborough Today

‘A brilliant read from one of our favourite authors.’ – New Must-Reads, Bella Magazine

‘This book had me jumping this way and that, trying to decide which characters could be trusted . . . and then changing my mind. A highly enjoyable read.’ — Imogen Clark

‘As a lover of all things Irish, how is it possible that I hadn’t discovered Sheila O’Flanagan’s books before THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL? Thanks to this wonderful story of a woman’s journey of self-discovery, I can’t wait to read more by this very talented author.’ — #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods

‘Shelia O’Flanagan delivers the perfect summer escape with THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL. Engrossing, entertaining, and emotional—and featuring a protagonist you can’t help but root for—this one will keep you turning the pages.’ - Farrah Rochon, USA Today Bestselling author of THE BOYFRIEND

‘Great characters and many twists and turns make this page turner thoroughly enjoyable.  A great read!’ — Katie Fforde

Praise for Sheila O’Flanagan

‘'O'Flanagan doesn't skirt the pain of heartache but embraces it along with the humour (and imperfect judgment) that give her characters their aching credibility... Despite some dark themes, the book's overall tone is light and hopeful.' - Irish Independent on HER HUSBAND’S MISTAKE

‘O'Flanagan is one of our best-known, best-loved and most prolific women's fiction authors’ – Irish Independent

‘One of my favourite authors’ – Marian Keyes

‘O'Flanagan's writing is crisp and concise and her plotting deft’ – Belfast Telegraph

'One of our best storytellers' – Irish Mail on Sunday

Visit Sheila’s website.

Follow Sheila on Twitter.

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey to be published by Vintage in paperback

We are delighted to announce a new stage in the epic journey of THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH by Monique Roffey. Originally published in 2020 by Jeremy Poynting and Hannah Bannister of Peepal Tree Press, to widespread acclaim, Penguin Random House’s Vintage imprint will now pick up the baton to publish the 2020 Costa Book Award winner in paperback and eBook.  Alex Russell at Vintage acquired UK & Commonwealth rights excluding Canada from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann. Vintage will publish THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH in paperback and eBook on 10 June, with a high-profile marketing and publicity campaign. Alongside Vintage, Harvill Secker have also acquired UK & Commonwealth rights to Monique Roffey’s next novel, due to be published in 2023.

THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH was published by Peepal Tree Press in the UK in April 2020 and has risen to become one of the most lauded novels of the year. 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, the RSL Ondaatje Prize and the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Translation rights have been sold in France, Germany, Holland, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Hungary, Turkey and Russia, with offering in other markets under way and a film deal being concluded. W.F. Howes publish the audio edition and radio reading rights have also been sold.

Monique Roffey says: ‘THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH is a lucky book and I am thrilled with this deal, which takes me from one dream team to another. I look forward to working with Alex Russell and the Harvill Secker and Vintage teams as my mermaid swims out into wider oceans, and with the new book.’

Alex Russell, Senior Editor at Vintage, says: ‘The Costa Prize judges celebrated THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH as “a classic in the making” and I couldn’t agree more. I escaped into Monique Roffey’s entrancing, unforgettable writing and was blown away by a story of love, jealousy and the search for freedom. Monique is a literary star and I cannot wait for readers to encounter the new novel too. It is thrilling to be joining her on a new adventure this summer and beyond at Vintage and Harvill Secker.’

Isobel Dixon, Head of Books at Blake Friedmann, says: ‘From the moment I read the manuscript I knew THE MERMAID OF BLACK was something extra special. She has swum through turbulent waters in this strange year, steered by the great team at Peepal Tree Press, and it has been an absolute joy to see the book and Monique receive such deserved acclaim. Here’s to an exciting new phase of the journey with Harvill Secker and Vintage as well.’

Jeremy Poynting at Peepal Tree Press says: ‘We will always be proud that we recognised immediately what a powerful novel THE MERMAID was and that we enjoyed with Monique Roffey its well-deserved success. For us, authors always come first, so we knew that it was in Monique’s interests that the rights to her novel should go to Vintage.’

Beth Coates, Publishing Director at Vintage, says: ‘We couldn’t be happier to have landed the wonder that is Monique Roffey and her MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH, as well as a new novel. We’ve long admired Monique’s vivid and fearless work and we can’t wait to join her on the next part of her literary journey.’

Liz Foley, Publishing Director at Harvill Secker, says: ‘We are honoured to welcome a writer of such exhilarating originality and quality to Harvill Secker and are so excited to be working with Monique on her next novel.’

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 Penguin Random House 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

Credit: Marcus Bastel

Monique Roffey is an award-winning novelist. In addition to the success of THE MERMAID OF BLACK CONCH, 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.

Visit Monique’s website

Follow Monique on Twitter

PUBLIC DOMAIN to transfer to the West End

PUBLIC DOMAIN, the Five Star verbatim musical, is transferring to the Vaudeville Theatre for a limited run from 27th May 2021.

Following an acclaimed digital debut at Southwark Playhouse this thrilling, new British musical, composed entirely from the real-life words of YouTube vloggers, Instagram influencers, Facebook’s tech giants, and everyday internet users now has its live world premiere in the West End.

Assistant Directed by Blake Friedmann client Micha Mirto, Public Domain is written by, features music and lyrics and stars Francesca Forristal and Jordan Paul Clarke. Adam Lenson directs, with scenic and costume design by Libby Todd and lighting design by Matt Daw. Read more about it here.

SARAH LOTZ' IMPOSSIBLE TO BE ADAPTED AS A FEATURE

Filmmaker Siân Heder, whose Sundance hit CODA is set to direct and write a feature take of Sarah Lotz’s upcoming 2022 novel IMPOSSIBLE.

In association with AM Heath, Conrad Williams of the Blake Friedmann Media Department optioned the rights earlier this year to Patrick Wachsberger’s Picture Perfect Federation, who will be working with Black Label Media and Marsh Entertainment to produce the feature adaptation of the novel. You can find out more about our media department’s work with book-to-screen adaptations here.

The Penguin Group Berkley Books novel tells the story of Nick, a ghostwriter who is a disappointment to himself and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, and Bee, a commitment-phobe content on repurposing wedding dresses rather than finding a reason to wear one herself. The two are meant to be together, but fate has other plans. They have an instant connection after a misdirected email lands in Bee’s inbox, and over time they develop real feelings for each other. Eventually, Nick and Bee come to the conclusion that they have to meet in person, yet when they both arrive at their planned destination, they discover it’s love at the right time but in the completely wrong place.

In a joint statement, the producers of Black Label Media added, “We are so excited to re-team with Patrick Wachsberger who we have worked with for many years and collaborated with on such films as Sicario and La La Land. Impossible is an incredible novel and we are thrilled to be working with the wonderfully talented Sian Heder on the adaptation.”