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The Skye’s the limit as Flame seals five-book deal for début author


Multi- book deal


Welbeck Flame has inked a five-book deal for début author Skye


McKenna’s magical middle-grade series set in Hedgely, an English village next to a great forest that marks the boundary between humans and “the world of Faerie”. Associate publisher Felicit


SKYE MCKENNA WORKS FOR YORK ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST


Alexander bought UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Philippa Milnes- Smith at The Soho Agency. ILA sold rights to the series in Brazil, the Czech Republic and Slovakia on behalf of The Soho Agency. The series—which Flame said would “appeal to fans of Nevermoor, The Worst Witch and The Dark is Rising”—kicks off with Hedgewitch, which centres around a coven of young witches that meets every Friday aſter school to learn their craſt. Faced with “the cunning faerie folk, they’ll need courage, wit and friendship to overcome the challenges that await them within the wood”.


Usborne seals multiple deals for Ivison’s Serendipity series


Usborne has sold Lucy Ivison’s “gorgeously glamorous” 1920s- set The House of Serendipity trilogy to four territories in the run-up to the virtual Bologna Children’s Book Fair. French rights were won at auction by Gallimard Jeunesse, while Amsterdam- based indie Billy Bones snatched up Dutch rights in a pre-empt. The series has also gone to WSOY in Finland and Denmark’s Gads Forlag. The House of Serendipity


focuses on two young women and unlikely friends, the Irish maid Myrtle Mathers and daughter of a duke and duchess Lady Sylvia Cartwright, who bond over their love of fashion and sewing. The first title in the series, Sequins and Secrets, revolves around Myrtle and Sylvia helping Agapantha Portland-Price to escape from her débutante ball to explore the Amazon dressed as a man.


Sequins and Secrets was


Owlet bags second picture book from breakout lockdown star Fennemore


Owlet Press has acquired Lauren Fennemore and Zoe Damoulakis’ picture book The Wonderful World was Waiting, the sequel to the duo’s overnight lockdown sensation The Year We Muddled Through. Sam Langley-Swain, founder and managing director of Owlet Press, bought world rights to the title, which will publish on 15th June. The first title, acquired in


November 2020, just before the author gave birth to her first baby


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after years of IVF treatment, sold 1,000 copies within three hours on sale, and shifted more than 15,000 within the first six weeks. Illustrator Damoulakis was signed to The Bright Agency after the success of the book. Fennemore said “the weirdness


and wonder of a year that none of us are going to forget in a hurry” inspired her to start writing, to document events in a way which “captured the love and hope that has kept so many of us going. I’m blown away by the


LAUREN FENNIMORE’S THE YEAR WE MUDDLED THROUGH WAS A HIT IN THE PANDEMIC


published in the UK last week (10th June) and is illustrated by Catharine Collingridge. Ivison is an author and London-based school librarian, who has written three YA titles for Chicken House with Tom Ellen. Senior commissioning editor


Sarah Stewart acquired UK, Commonwealth and translation rights for three books in the series from Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency. The series also sold to Razorbill/Penguin in the US.


Flame is the new kids’ imprint formed in December 2020, led by Welbeck’s publisher for children’s books, Jane Harris. Alexander said: “Hedgewitch is exactly what we hoped we would find when we decided to launch Flame. It’s fresh yet classic, enchanting and intensely human, with the most satisfying (and surprising) five-book story arc. This is a world where you don’t have to be special to access magic—you just have to keep your eyes and mind open.” McKenna was born and raised


in the Australian outback town of Newman and moved to the UK as an adult. She now works for York Archaeological Trust, where she recently curated a Magic & Mystery exhibition, introducing visitors to real and legendary wizards and alchemists, and developing activities for school children.


Hedgewitch will launch in April 2022, with the follow-up, Woodwitch, due a year later. Reporting Tom Tivnan


LUCY IVISON’S SERIES SOLD IN FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, FINLAND AND DENMARK


response to the first book and heart- warmed to think that it has resonated with so many. I hope that people also find hope and joy in The Wonderful World Was Waiting as they rediscover the world anew with their little ones.” Langley-Swain said: “When Lauren


said she was working on a sequel, we jumped at the opportunity to bring another important and memorable book to families everywhere, especially those with babies born during the last 15 months. Lauren’s story captures the sentiment of our current situation perfectly, and Zoe’s illustrations bring so much joy and wonder to every page.”


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