D H H News Roundup 16th - 22nd October 2023
James Goodhand
Congratulations to James Goodhand, whose first foray into adult fiction, The Day Tripper, has been sold to Black & White, an imprint of Bonnier Zaffre.
Editor Clem Flanagan and Campbell Brown, executive publisher, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Nora Rawn at MIRA Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, in association with Harry Illingworth at and Helen Edwards. Screen rights have been optioned by a "major" streaming service. The novel will be published on 21st March 2024.
To read the full press release, click here.
Richard Swan
The cover for the third in Richard Swan's Empire of the Wolf trilogy, The Trials of Empire, has been revealed!
THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND
The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there's life in the great beast yet.
To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena must look beyond its borders for allies - to the wolfmen of the southern plains, and the pagan clans in the north. But old grievances run deep, and both factions would benefit from the fall of Sova.
Even these allies might not be enough. Their enemy, the zealot Bartholomew Claver, wields infernal powers bestowed on him by a mysterious demonic patron. If Vonvalt and Helena are to stand against him, they will need friends on both sides of the mortal plane - but such allegiances carry a heavy price.
As the battlelines are drawn in both Sova and the afterlife, the final reckoning draws close. Here, at the beating heart of the Empire, the two-headed wolf will be reborn in a blaze of justice . . . or crushed beneath the shadow of tyranny.
Lucy Fulford
We loved seeing Lucy Fulford contribute a piece for the Guardian's 'A Moment That Changed Me' feature last week.
Idi Amin expelled 50,000 Ugandan Asians in 1972, among them, Lucy's mother. Last year Lucy finally saw her old house, and you can read about the experience here.
The Exiled is out now.
Helen Scott
Live, Laugh, Lesbian* by Helen Scott has been published, and it is an honest and unflinching look at life as a lesbian in the 21st Century.
"Sometimes, it's easy to feel like the only lesbian in the world - let alone in the village. But wherever you are with your sexuality, you've just picked up a book with the word 'lesbian' in the title and I know baby you would be so proud."
From strap-ons and Lesbian Bed Death to dealing with homophobic microaggressions in the workplace and finding your second family, Helen Scott, lesbian big sister and lipstick femme in chief is here to hold your hand as you travel your own unique path to Gay Town. Half memoir, half guide, and 100% big lesbian hug, plunge with Helen into the highs and lows of navigating lesbian life in the modern world and emerge with all the lesbian life hacks you'll need to get out there and live the life of your dreams. Candid, wise, bold and hilarious - it's time to reclaim the L in LGBTQ+
*The deal for the book was negotiated by Abi Fellows while she was at The Good Literary Agency
Natalie Marlow
The second book from Natalie Marlow has been announced. The Red Hollow is the follow-up to Natalie's critically-acclaimed debut, Needless Alley*, released earlier this year.
Warwickshire, 1934
Deep in a hamlet in the Warwickshire countryside, Red Hollow Hall is a male-only sanitorium run by the charismatic psychiatrist Dr Moon. However, all is not well, and Dr Moon's patients are leaving Red Hollow in droves.
Recent disturbances, which originally appeared to be pranks, have descended into something more sinister, and now the men believe they have a malevolent visitor - the mermaid of Red Hollow. The ghost of a murdered girl, they believe the mermaid wreaks bloody revenge on unsuspecting men each time the hamlet floods.
When Private Enquiry agent, William Garrett, and freshly minted detective, Phyll Hall, are called in to uncover the identity of the intruder, they become trapped in a world of madness, the occult and grisly murder. A world where William must use all his strength to differentiate between the real-life monster haunting Red Hollow Hall and the monsters of the mind.
*The deal for the books was negotiated by Abi Fellows while she was at The Good Literary Agency
Chris Merritt
A very warm welcome to new client, Chris Merritt who joined David Headley's list last week.
A clinical psychologist & former diplomat, Chris is the author of eight thrillers whose themes span terrorism, organised crime, serial killers, and psychology.
Tom Hindle
Congratulations to Tom Hindle, whose book The Murder Game, has been revealed as one of Waterstones' Best Paperbacks of the Year 2023.
The list is curated by the team themselves, from the most talked-about bestsellers to exceptional award-winners, and from spellbinding novels and unputdownable thrillers to the finest non-fiction from throughout the year - and we couldn't be happier for Tom!
His forthcoming book, Murder on Lake Garda, is available for pre-order now.
The Winter Spirits
Also published last week was The Winter Spirits, an incredible collection of ghostly tales written by some truly mind-blowing authors, including our very own Stuart Turton.
The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories - authored by some of today's most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction - are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience.
Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret,, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights.
So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past...
Jane Crowther
Finally, we are over the moon to be able to announce that the debut novel from Jane Crowther, @GATSBY, has been acquired by The Borough Press in a UK & Commonwealth deal, negotiated by Harry Illingworth. The book is a modern, reimagined version of The Great Gatsby with a female protagonist.
To find out more about the book and the deal struck, click here.