After she was dropped by her agent, Alex Aster turned to a books-obsessed corner of TikTok to gauge interest in her YA novel … and now Lightlark is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the yearHaving finally published her first novel, Alex Aster was feeling disheartened. The book had tanked during the pandemic and she had been dropped by her literary agent. Then, on 13 March 2021, she decided to take to TikTok, asking her followers if they would: “read a book about a cursed island that only appears once every 100 years to host a game that gives the six rulers of the realm a chance to break their curses.” One of the rulers must die, the short video revealed, “even as love complicates everything” for the heroine, Isla Crown.Aster didn’t expect much, especially when she checked in a few hours later to see that her post had only clocked up about 1,000 views. Maybe the books world was right, she thought. Maybe there wasn’t a market for Lightlark, a young adult story she had been writing and rewriting for years, to no interest from publishers. The next day, however, she woke up to see her video had been viewed more than a million times. A week later, Lightlark had gone to auction and she had a six-figure deal with Amulet Books. Last month, Universal preemptively bought the film rights for, in her words, “more zeros than I’ve seen in my life”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-16 13:32:30 UTC ]
She represented Desmond Tutu and Deepak Chopra, but the book closest to her was the one she wrote about giving up her baby and then reuniting with him. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-08-02 22:55:48 UTC ]
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Award-winning screenwriter Abi Morgan’s memoir, which follows family life after her partner's sudden illness, has gone to John Murray for “a strong six-figures". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-20 19:48:18 UTC ]
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Mark Gordon's new production company's London wing has picked up the forthcoming HarperCollins UK release. The post Film Rights: London’s BKS Agency Has an Option for Stephen McGinty’s ‘The Dive’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-21 18:13:27 UTC ]
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Fundraiser running until 21 May also includes chances to consult with star agent Jonny Geller and have a character named after you in a Sarah Pinborough novelA literary auction raising money to help vaccinate the world against coronavirus has made more than £23,000 so far, as book lovers bid to... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-05-18 12:13:19 UTC ]
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Independent publisher Joffe Books is partnering with author Dorothy Koomson and literary agent Susan Yearwood to launch a writing prize for unagented crime writers of colour. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-30 23:20:48 UTC ]
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Six years after the release of For Holly, and after a period where she swore she would never write again, Tanya Byrne is publishing a new YA novel about love, death and what makes life worth living. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-30 08:35:56 UTC ]
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Allan Wolf talks about why he wrote 'The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep,' a finalist for the Times Book Prize, and ponders the best way to eat people. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-04-06 14:00:07 UTC ]
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The movie adaptation of Nico Walker’s Cherry—the best-selling debut novel about an Iraq veteran turned heroin addict turned bank robber—will be released in theaters in two days, directed by the Russo Brothers (who you might know from Avengers) and starring Tom Holland (who you might know from... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-24 18:21:44 UTC ]
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Welbeck has signed a “significant” six-figure deal for “profoundly moving” new novel Little Wing and one other book by Freya North. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-22 01:44:35 UTC ]
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Melvin Burgess’ Three Bullets, which interrogates themes of brainwashing and the far-right, will be released this summer alongside a 25th-anniversary edition of the author’s pioneering YA novel Junk. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-11 21:15:24 UTC ]
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Orion Fiction has pre-empted "fiercely romantic" debut What Time is Love? and one more novel by journalist Holly Williams in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-08 09:50:18 UTC ]
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Carol Blue-Hitchens and her late husband’s literary agent are discouraging friends from participating in a book tentatively titled “Pamphleteer: The Life and Times of Christopher Hitchens.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-02-04 10:00:17 UTC ]
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As a struggling literary agent in London, he took a chance on J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter, turning her books into the most lucrative literary franchise in history. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-01-27 22:39:44 UTC ]
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HarperVoyager has snared YA writer Juno Dawson's first three adult novels, a trilogy set around a government agency for witches, at auction in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-27 18:39:44 UTC ]
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Nick Walters at David Luxton Associates has been promoted to senior literary agent and rights manager in recognition of his "outstanding contribution" to the agency over the years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-18 12:55:15 UTC ]
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Sevastian Volkov has won this year’s Impress Prize for New Writers, for his YA novel Orris and the Shadow Maiden. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-14 11:33:47 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Children’s Books has scooped Lies Like Wildfire, the “compulsive and explosive” debut YA novel from Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-07 03:46:12 UTC ]
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“GUYS ARE LIKE school admissions,” Claire Wang’s mom tells Claire in Parachutes, a new YA novel by Kelly Yang. “Get in first. Then worry if you like them back.” The analogy is cheeky yet revealing: colleges and boyfriends function on a model of scarcity, and thus attainment is far more important... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books
[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-12-26 16:00:45 UTC ]
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It’s been said a million times and I’ll say it again: we could never have predicted this year. As we move closer towards 2021, it’s becoming apparent that we can’t be certain about much. During this time of the calendar year, we are being told to look forward into 2021, to make plans in our... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-08 14:03:00 UTC ]
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Sphere has won British journalist Celia Walden's "fiercely intelligent" thriller Payday at auction, in a "competitive" six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-01 22:05:28 UTC ]
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