LONDON BOOK FAIR: RIGHTS GUIDE
Fiction
TIME OF DEATH by Mark Billingham. Little, Brown, UK – April 2015; Grove
Atlantic, US; Heyne, Germany; Burda Media, Poland. Options elsewhere. Manuscript
available.
The explosive new novel from best-selling author Mark Billingham. In the small town where
Helen Weeks grew up two schoolgirls have gone missing - and when the police arrest a local
family man, Stephen Bates, Helen and Thorne return there to support Stephen’s wife, an old
school friend of Helen’s. But with the police convinced they have the right man in custody,
Thorne sets out on a collision course to find the truth – time’s running out, and he’s up
against a merciless killer. “Billingham is one of the most consistently entertaining, insightful
crime writers working today” - Gillian Flynn.
BURNED AND BROKEN by Mark Hardie. Sphere/Little, Brown, UK – 2016.
Manuscript due to be delivered Summer 2015.
The debut crime novel from author Mark Hardie, who began writing when he lost his sight, is
set in gritty Southend and follows two detectives as they investigate the death of their
colleague, found burnt to death in his own car. Meanwhile, two troubled teenagers do their
best to discover the truth behind the death of their friend. An intelligent and character driven
debut with a heart-breaking climax. The first in a series.
THE DROWNED DETECTIVE by Neil Jordan. Bloomsbury, World English – 2016.
Options elsewhere. Final manuscript available.
The new novel from best-selling author and award winning screen-writer Neil Jordan: set in
an un-named Eastern European city, as a private detective tries to find a missing girl and his
wife struggles with the implications of her discoveries on an archaeological dig, they struggle
both with their marriage and the increasingly strange happenings occurring around them. The
Irish Times described Jordan as, “so good it leaves us wondering why he bothers making
movies”.
THE BRITTLE STAR by Davina Langdale. Hodder & Stoughton, World. Manuscript
due to be delivered early 2016.
Sold to Hodder in a pre-empt, the debut novel from Davina Langdale tells the story of young
John Evert trying to find his place in the world after his family’s farm is ransacked and his
mother is taken from him. In the vein of Philipp Meyer’s The Son and Patrick deWitt’s The
Sisters Brothers, The Brittle Star is a beautiful and haunting coming of age story set in the
American West.
THE NATASHAS by Yelena Moskovich. Serpent’s Tail, World excluding US – 2016.
Material available from the publisher.
Somewhere in Paris there is a windowless room. It is filled with women, all named Natasha.
Similar in mood to the photographic world of Cindy Sherman and in rhythm to the surreal
cinematic storytelling of David Lynch, The Natashas is a debut novel by a startlingly original
young writer, with shades of Angela Carter, Roberto Bolaño, and Yoko Tawada.
NOT WORKING by Lisa Owens. Picador, UK – 2016; Random House, US; Gads,
Denmark; Belfond, France; Piper, Germany; Newton Compton, Italy; Massolit,
Sweden. Unedited manuscript available.
Sold in a major auction in the UK, US and Germany – and already snapped up in four further
territories – this hilarious and poignant debut novel follows the heroine, Claire Flannery, as
her life unravels around her, and is written with dazzling wit, superb comic timing and an
unerring eye for the minutiae that make up a life. Think Ann Beattie, A M Holmes and
Miranda July; Lisa Owens is a fresh British voice to watch.
Non-Fiction
DEATH BY VIDEO GAME by Simon Parkin. Profile Books, World – August 2015.
Material available from the publisher.
Renowned gaming journalist Simon Parkin delves into the lives of obsessive gamers to
answer the question: why do we spend so many hours of our lives in virtual playgrounds?
Telling the stories of gamers and the developers who create the worlds they obsessively
inhabit, Death by Video Game is a window on the human stories that have made video games
the twenty-first century's most vibrant form of entertainment.
NOPI: THE COOKBOOK by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully. Ebury, World
excluding US – September 2015; Ten Speed Press, US. Material available from the
publisher.
The latest offering from the cookery phenomenon: a cookbook to celebrate their London
restaurant, NOPI. Head-chef Ramael Scully’s Asian-inspired pantry meets the more
traditional Ottolenghi staples and will allow the home cook to recreate the restaurant’s often
complex dishes at home. International sales in the Ottolenghi cook books have reached over
two million copies.
THE BOOK SMUGGLERS OF TIMBUKTU by Charlie English. Harper Collins, UK –
2016; Riverhead, US; Mondadori, Italy; Hoffmann & Campe, Germany. Manuscript due
to be delivered December 2015.
Sold in a major auction in the UK and US, this proposal explores the mystery of the
legendary city of Timbuktu and those who have tried in vain to reach it, as well as the
incredible contemporary story of the evacuation of thousands of ancient manuscripts kept in
the library there when the city was under occupation in 2012. It weaves stories of a present
day adventure and a historical mystery, as the two converge to give us a fuller understanding
of the world we’ve inherited.
UNFORBIDDEN PLEASURES by Adam Phillips. Hamish Hamilton, UK – November
2015. Options elsewhere. Manuscript due to be delivered June 2015.
In his dazzling new book Adam Phillips takes Oscar Wilde as a springboard for a deep dive
into the meanings and importance of the Unforbidden, from the fall of our 'first parents'
Adam and Eve to the work of the great twentieth-century psychoanalytic thinkers. “Startling,
rewarding, illuminating, extraordinary. Phillips is one of those writers whom it is a pleasure
simply to hear think” - The Sunday Telegraph.
FRESH INDIA by Meera Sodha. Fig Tree, World – 2016. Manuscript due to be delivered
late 2015.
Continuing her quest to demystify cooking Indian food at home, the Made in India writer
Meera Sodha’s next project is a vegetarian cookbook inspired by the deliciously fresh
ingredients at the heart of authentic Indian food.
Bologna – Children’s/YA
REMIX by Non Pratt. Walker Books, World – June 2015. Material available from
publisher.
From the author of Trouble comes a novel about boys, bands and best mates. Kaz is still
reeling from being dumped by the love of her life. Ruby is bored of hearing about it. Time to
change the record. Three days. Two best mates. One music festival. Zero chance of
everything working out.
THE HERO’S TOMB by Conrad Mason. David Fickling Books, UK – July 2015.
Options elsewhere. Manuscript available.
The final instalment in the Tales of Fayt trilogy for children, continuing the adventures of the
Demon’s Watch, this time they must overcome the League of the Light for good. “Imbued
with hints of Terry Pratchett...Mason's writing is lively and engaging, and his message of
tolerance is a potent one." - The Literary Review.
CONCENTR8 by William Sutcliffe. Bloomsbury, World English – August 2015;
Rowohlt, Germany. Final manuscript available.
The new YA novel from the author of the Carnegie shortlisted, The Wall. Concentr8 is a drug
most children and teenagers have been on for as long as they can remember, it’s got to do
with ADHD but few people can remember being diagnosed. For Troy and his friends, the
moment they can’t get hold of it is the time for action and they’re willing to do almost
anything to get it.
THE YES by Sarah Bee. Anderson Press, World. Material available from publisher.
A stunning picture book following a big orange YES in his trials and triumphs in a land of
NOs. Beautifully illustrated by the inimitable Satoshi Kitamura. A future classic.
SHADOW BOX by Peter Cocks. Walker Books, UK. Final manuscript available.
Tommy Kelly may be banged up, but he's still pulling the strings. Calling Eddie Savage back
into the world of intelligence to track down his daughter, Sophie, the king of crime is
venturing into an uneasy relationship with the law. Eddie, meanwhile, has his own reasons
for accepting the job, and this time he wonders if he really has done a deal with the devil.
CAPTIVE by A J Grainger. Simon & Schuster, World. Material available from publisher.
Robyn Knollys-Green is a normal teenager, except her father is the British Prime Minister and in the wake of the global financial collapse, unrest is growing, anarchist groups are
strengthening and Robyn’s father is the scapegoat. When she is taken hostage by a group of
masked vigilantes, after an attack on their car, Robyn’s world is slowly turned upside down
as she is forced to ask herself who she can really trust. Part love-story, part political thriller,
this utterly compelling YA debut packs a powerful emotional punch.
THE DEADLY 7 by Garth Jennings. Macmillan Children’s Books, World. Material
available from publisher.
The first in an irresistible and hilarious illustrated series from a fantastic new talent in
children's fiction: Garth Jennings (director and scriptwriter for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy and Son of Rambow) brings us the story of a boy, Nelson, who sets out on a quest
across the globe with seven deadly monsters to find and rescue his big sister.
GLIMPSE by Kendra Leighton. Constable & Robinson, UK. Final manuscript available.
Ever since the car accident, Liz has never felt ‘normal’. When she and her father move to the
famous Highway Inn, she hopes for a new start; but why does she keep seeing mysterious
glimpses? A tale inspired by the Alfred Noyes poem, The Highwayman.
CIRCUS OF THIEVES ON THE RAMPAGE by William Sutcliffe. Simon & Schuster,
World. Material available from publisher.
Shank's Impossible Circus is back. There are 7,362 things that Armitage Shank hates and at
the top of the list is being made a fool of. So, when he thinks his old nemesis, Queenie
Bombazine, is trying to do just that, he sets out on a revenge rampage! Meanwhile, a HUGE
revelation sends Hannah and Granny on their own journey to find Queenie, it's only a matter
of time before they all collide... Full of fun, adventure and wacky characters, a must for fans
of Andy Stanton, David Walliams and Roald Dahl. Brilliantly illustrated by David
Tazzyman.
THE ENDLESS TRIALS OF TABITHA BAIRD by Arabella Weir. Piccadilly Press,
World. Material available from publisher.
Tabitha Baird and her friends Emz and A'isha reckon they're the coolest, most popular girls in
their year. But they have a rival in new girl, Bea. She's a seriously scary Goth who quickly
attracts a following - and she doesn't like Tab at all! That's only the start of Tab's problems.
The second in the irresistibly funny Tabitha Baird series by the brilliant co-creator of The
Fast Show and Does My Bum Look Big In This?.
L&R Recent Highlights
THE LAST TREASURE HUNT by Jane Alexander. Saraband, UK. Final manuscript
available.
Thirty year old barman Campbell is watching from the side-lines as his family and friends
make something of their lives. When an evening out with his childhood friend, Eve Sadler, a
rising Hollywood film star, ends in tragedy, his life is transformed – but at what cost? A
hugely accomplished debut that explores our obsession with fame and celebrity with great
intelligence and sly wit, it’s a modern media morality tale with bite.
THE AXEMAN’S JAZZ by Ray Celestin. Mantle/Macmillan, UK; Source Books, US;
Editions du Cherche Midi, France; Minumsa, Korea; Alianza, Spain; Esen Kitap,
Turkey. Final manuscript available.
Winner of the John Creasey Dagger, a debut novel inspired by the real life case of a serialkiller who terrorised the residents of New Orleans in 1919. Set against the backdrop of jazz
music, racial tension and with prohibition just around the corner, this is a powerful and
atmospheric page-turner.
JIGSAW MAN by Elena Forbes. Quercus Books, UK; Text Publishing, Australia;
House of Anansi, North America and Canada; Goldmann, Germany. Final manuscript
available.
The long awaited fourth novel in the internationally successful Mark Tartaglia series sees the
Barnes Murder Squad return to tackle two chilling cases one of which is a little too close to
home. “Add Mark Tartaglia and Sam Donovan to your list of must-read detectives.” - Peter
Robinson.
OUR ENDLESS NUMBERED DAYS by Claire Fuller. Fig Tree, UK; Tin House, US;
House of Anansi, Canada; Editions Stock, France; Mondadori, Italy; Epsilon, Turkey;
AW Bruna, The Netherlands; Keter, Israel; Emily Publishing, Taiwan. Final manuscript
available.
In 1975, when Peggy Hillcoat is nine, she is abducted by her survivalist father, James. He
takes her to a remote cabin and tells her the rest of the world has disappeared. She isn’t seen
again for another eight years. Sold in a major auction in the UK and eight further territories,
this gripping debut novel leads us on an extraordinary and heart-stopping journey.
I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING by Rebecca Harrington. Virago, UK; Vintage,
US; Saraiva, Brazil; Ullstein, Germany; Prometheus, The Netherlands; Porto Editora,
Portugal; Baroque Books, Romania; Printz Publishing, Sweden; Warner Bros,
television option. Final manuscript available.
Following her hugely successful series in New York Magazine, Harrington describes her
attempts to follow celebrity diets ranging from Elizabeth Taylor to Beyoncé, with her
trademark wit and style. Television rights have been optioned, and volume rights have so far
been snapped up in eight territories.
DARKNESS, DARKNESS by John Harvey. Heinemann, UK; Pegasus, US; Editions
Payot et Rivages, France. Final manuscript available.
The triumphant last book in the Resnick series revisits a cold case, expertly weaving past and
present. Suspenseful, engaging and masterfully written, Darkness, Darkness, is Harvey
writing at his absolute best. “Anyone new to Resnick’s world should probably start here;
John Harvey has saved the best for last.” - Jon McGregor.
EVERLAND by Rebecca Hunt. Fig Tree, UK; Europa, US; Luchterhand, Germany;
Tunel Kitap, Turkey. Final manuscript available.
Set on a desolate Antarctic island, this new novel, from the author of MR CHARTWELL,
tells the story of two groups of explorers, almost a hundred years apart. “…part-thriller, part
adventure story, part social drama and utterly absorbing.” - The Daily Mail.
SPRINGTIME: A GHOST STORY by Michelle de Kretser. Allen & Unwin, UK. Final
manuscript available.
When Frances met Charlie at a party in Melbourne he was married with a young son. Now
she and Charlie live in Sydney with her rescue dog Rod and an unshakeable sense that they
have tipped the world on its axis. They are still getting their bearings - of each other and of
their adopted city and everything is alien, unfamiliar and exotic: haunting, even. A rare and
beguiling novella by award-winning writer Michelle de Kretser.
ROAD ENDS by Mary Lawson. Chatto & Windus, UK; Dial/Random House, US;
Knopf, Canada; Editions Belfond, France; Edizioni Frassinelli, Italy. Final manuscript
available.
Family drama from the author of Crow Lake, Lawson’s third novel moves between the
Ontario silver rush of the early 1900s to swinging London in the 1960s. Lawson’s books have
sold over a million copies worldwide. “I’ve been trying to tell everyone I know about Mary
Lawson…she’s written three novels, each one just a marvel” - Anne Tyler.
GIRL IN THE DARK by Anna Lyndsey. Bloomsbury, UK; Doubleday, US; Intrinseca,
Brazil; MLD, Czech Republic; Rosinante, Denmark; Editions Robert Laffont-Fixot,
France; Goldmann, Germany; Libri, Hungary; Garzanti, Italy; Kawade Shobo
Shinsha, Japan; Hong Ik Publishing, Korea; de Bezige Bi, The Netherlands; Agora,
Poland; Affectum Libris, Turkey. Final manuscript available.
The extraordinary memoir by a woman whose severe allergy to light means she must spend
most of her life in complete darkness. Pre-empted in six territories in just one week, and sold
in fourteen territories so far. This book has just been optioned by a major cinematic
powerhouse.
THE HOURGLASS FACTORY by Lucy Ribchester. Simon & Schuster, UK; Pegasus,
US; Marginesy, Poland; Editora Rao, Romania. Final manuscript available.
Angela Carter meets Dan Brown. This best-selling debut is set in London in 1912, with the
Suffragette movement reaching fever pitch, and centres on the book’s heroine, Frankie
George, as she tries to make her mark as a journalist on Fleet Street and becomes embroiled
in a mystery that is far more sinister than it first appears. Mesmerizingly vivid, past-paced
atmospheric, and written with absolute passion - this debut is something really special.
THE SHADOW YEAR by Hannah Richell. Orion, UK; Novo Conceito, Brazil; Editions
Belfond, France; Random House Germany, Germany; Garzanti, Italy; House of Books,
The Netherlands; Forum, Sweden; Orkinos, Turkey. Final manuscript available.
1980. On a hot summer's day five friends stumble upon an abandoned cottage hidden deep in
the English countryside. Isolated and run-down, it offers a retreat, somewhere they can
escape from the world. But as the seasons change, tensions begin to rise. From the Richard
and Judy Book Club selected author, Hannah Richell, comes a spellbinding tale of grief,
jealousy and betrayal.
A TIME FOR FRIENDS by Patricia Scanlan. Simon & Schuster, UK. Options
elsewhere. Final manuscript available.
From the #1 best-selling Irish writer, a stunning new novel: Hilary and Colleen have been
friends since they were children, but now they’re all grown up they lead very different lives.
Hilary has married her childhood sweetheart and their new family is world’s away from
Colleen’s smart London house and her dinner parties designed to advance her husband’s
career - but life has its ups and downs, and when hard times loom it’s time to find out who
your real friends are.
SESAME & SPICE by Anne Shooter. Headline, World. Material available from the
publisher.
The stunning baking book inspired by Anne Shooter’s Jewish family - her grandmothers,
mother and aunts who baked honey cake, almond cookies and cinnamon balls, challah bread
and cheesecakes. The Daily Mail food writer’s first cookbook is an absolute delight. “Sesame
& Spice is an absolute treat; full of warmth and generosity, and so many recipes I want to
cook” - Nigella Lawson.
MAINLANDER by Will Smith. Fourth Estate, UK. Final manuscript available.
Set in 1987 on the island of Jersey, Will Smith introduces us to a cast of utterly compelling
and deeply flawed characters, and through them paints a vivid picture of the claustrophobic
nature of island life when a young boy goes missing. Will Smith is best known for his work
with Armando Iannucci, he co-wrote and starred in The Thick of It (as hapless Tory
researcher Phil Smith) and more recently has worked as writer and co-producer on Emmywinning HBO series Veep.
THE WIDOW’S CONFESSION by Sophia Tobin. Simon & Schuster, UK. Final
manuscript available.
The new novel from the author of the Sunday Times bestseller, The Silversmith's Wife. It is
1850, Edmund Steele has come to Broadstairs to escape London and quieten his mind - and it
seems he is not the only one there hiding from something. A striking American widow is also
spending the season there with her cousin and doing her best to keep to herself. Soon enough,
however, a series of murders begin to stir the waters.
THE IRON NECKLACE by Giles Waterfield. Allen & Unwin, UK and Australia. Final
manuscript available.
A society wedding in London in 1910 brings together Thomas, an idealistic German
architect, and Irene, an English artist. They settle into married life in Berlin, until their life is
shattered by WWI. A highly engrossing three generational masterpiece in the tradition of
Elizabeth Jane Howard.