NEWS


Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2022 The headlines


Alasdair Beckett-King’s ‘homage to Poirot’ signed by Walker Books


author


First- time


Walker Books has scooped Montgomery Éclair: Murder at the Museum, the first in an “hilarious” murder mystery series by comedian and début author Alasdair Becket-King. World rights were acquired by commissioning editor Gráinne Clear from Jacob Howe-Douglas at HD Management. Set for publishing in February 2023, Murder at the Museum will be illustrated by Claire Powell, who is represented by Clare Wallace at the Darley Anderson Illustration Agency.


“Claire Montgomery is the


THE FIRST BOOK IN BECKETT-KING’S MURDER MYSTERY SERIES WILL PUBLISH IN FEBRUARY 2023


world’s best detective—but you’ve probably never heard of her,” the synopsis reads. “You probably have heard of the great Montgomery Éclair, however: the well-dressed and terribly famous gentleman detective who (apart from the hat and moustache) looks suspiciously like a 10-year- old girl. “Together with Éclair’s assistant, Grampa Banks, the


MCB tees up Smith’s latest festive foray


Author/illustrator Alex T Smith is to write another festive-themed title for Macmillan Children’s Books, a “heartwarming and unlikely” story which promises to be like a mash-up of A Christmas Carol and Germanic fairytale the Krampus. MCB’s editorial director for non-fiction and poetry, Gaby Morgan, and senior editor for fiction and non-fiction, Cate Augustin, snapped up world rights to The Grumpus from Tamlyn Francis at Arena Illustration. The story is partly inspired by the Krampus and features “a loveable


anti-hero, who doesn’t really like anybody, or anything at all really”, the Grumpus. But the Grumpus particularly does not like Christmas and hatches a plan to go to the North Pole to stop it. Smith said: “The Grumpus is


essentially my riff on A Christmas Carol—a mean and unhappy character is changed over the course of three acts to understand the spirit of Christmas. But I hope readers will take more than just that; I wanted with this book to consider how people (or in this case Grumpuses) can change if only they are treated without judgment.”


S&S Children’s bitten by S J Wills’ addictive teen wolf series


Simon & Schuster Children’s has snapped up Bite Risk, the first book in a teen horror-adventure series by S J Wills, in a three-way auction. Lucy Pearse, fiction editorial


director at Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, obtained world rights for three books at auction from Kate Shaw at the Kate Shaw Agency. A German auction was also under way. S&S will publish the book as a


super-lead title in June 2023, backed by a major consumer campaign.


06 23rd March 2022 The 11+ series is set in an isolated


town where nobody enters or exits and all the adults are werewolves. “It’s up to the kids to keep their ferocious parents in check but when strange happenings start to disrupt their lives, it’s clear there is something or someone out there with more sinister intentions,” the synopsis reads. “An action-packed adventure


with shocks on every page, it’s the addictive new blockbuster that fans of Fear Street and Skulduggery


crime-busting duo have a nose for knowing when something is afoot, amiss or untoward. “When a highly suspicious death occurs at the Hornville Museum, Éclair and Banks have a new case to solve. Together they’ll interview some dodgy witnesses, scour the scene for clues and— above all—hope no one notices that Claire and Montgomery are never in the same room at the same time.”


Becket-King is a multi-award- winning comedian, writer and podcaster. “Children love a good murder,” he said. “Murder is by far the most fun tpe of crime to solve. Lost dogs and stolen pearls are all well and good, but I’ve always felt that murder is the big one.”


Powell is a bestselling children’s book illustrator. She has worked with publishers and authors including Jeanne Willis, Peter Bently, Kes Gray and Simon Farnaby. Reporting Ruth Comerford


ALEX T SMITH’S NEW CHRISTMAS BOOK, THE GRUMPUS, TO BE PUBLISHED BY MCB


Pleasant have been waiting for.” “Bite Risk landed with us fully


formed, the writing is slick and filmic, and the concept, characters and utterly creepy setting leap off the page,” Pearse said. “There is huge need for more


accessible, high-impact content for a young teen audience and Bite Risk will deliver on every front.” It is Wills' first teenage adventure


BITE RISK WILL BE WILLS' FIRST TEEN ADVENTURE BOOK


book. She previously worked at two London publishers before going freelance in 2003. She said: “When S&S offered to publish I bit their arm off. I’m delighted by the chance to work with Lucy and the team.”


© Edward Moore


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