massive cacophony of London’s streets—and it’s just so timeless.”
Hidden Treasures will be her first piece of completely original children’s fiction, pitched by the PR team as “Ruby in the Smoke meets Katherine Rundell with a bit of a ‘Downton Abbey’”. In her own words Burton sums it up as “an adventure; it’s mysterious and magical but it’s set in the real world”. She reveals how important it was to have “ordinary people” as her protagonists, populating a historical backdrop. “It’s tied to the First World War and that seismic crack in societ. How do you put back together the broken pieces of your heart; carry on and find beaut and joy in life aſter loss?” The inclusion of magic enables Burton to push these big questions further: “What price are you prepared to pay to get back something or someone you have lost?”
The big Miniaturist Burton is best known for her début adult novel, The Miniaturist, which launched her career as an internationally bestselling author in 2014. It set the tone for Burton’s evocative brand of historical fiction, which oſten focuses on the lives and relationships of women. Her backlist features The Muse (2016) and The Confession (2019), and she is still repped by Juliet Mushens 10 years on. The Miniaturist still towers above her growing oeuvre. It’s sold well over a million copies worldwide, been translated into 38 languages and turned into a BBC mini-series with Romola Garai and Anya Taylor-Joy. Last year Burton released a sequel, The House of Fortune, which topped The Bookseller’s Original Fiction chart and welcomed readers back to Golden Age Amsterdam, picking up on the story of Petronella Oortman and Thea, the secret baby in the first novel, who is now on the cusp of adulthood. Crossing from adult fiction to kids’ books is sometimes not an easy transition for authors but Burton enthuses: “I love writing for children,” explaining how this new middle-grade fantasy was part of her original contract with Bloomsbury Children’s six years ago. Approached to write stories that reinvented the roles of women and girls in fairytales, Burton released two retellings first, The Restless Girls (2018), a reimagining of an old fairytale, and Greek myth retelling Medusa (2021). Hidden Treasures has had its release date moved—it’s officially out in October 2024. While the flexibilit of scheduling could be misconstrued as a marquee author
pulling strings, Burton points out that she has her deadlines, as most authors do, “unless you’re Donna Tart”, she laughs. But there is leeway, helped by her relationship with the Bloomsbury team, particularly Ellen Holgate, Bloomsbury Children’s head of fiction. “Ellen knew the novel would come and it has come at the right time. It’s a testament to her trust in me and my love of writing for her and with her.” Burton acknowledges the extension on publication
date of Hidden Treasures was incredibly helpful, but as a rule believes more time doesn’t always equal more success. “You know, someone having five years to write a book is not necessarily going to write a beter book, while someone who has a year can be really focused. It’s just a balance.” Does Burton have the right balance? She gave birth to her son in 2021 and her husband is on toddler dut as we talk. I’m not about to go down the road of asking quite how she “does it all” but at the same time it seems ridiculous not to mention it. Burton hasn’t quite worked out the ethics of interviewing mothers about their work-life balance either. “I always remember Lauren Groff saying that she won’t answer those questions because a man is never asked them, but I also think some men would probably quite like to be asked... I know some men who really like their kids!” As it happens, it’s all worked out well in terms of timings. “I was quite lucky; my son arrived two and a half weeks aſter I delivered the final edit of The House of Fortune. So I had a whole year with him without any work.” The main change for Burton is “scope”, explaining how it is less possible to “work any hour of the day, if required, or needed, or desired”, but “it’s doable”. Even though she can only concentrate on one writing project at a time, she mentions a stage play of The Restless Girls, which she will be involved in writing. “I do have other adult books in mind,” she adds. “But that’s a long way in the distance, and I have another book contracted with Bloomsbury Children’s.” Before we ring off, she offers a final pitch of Hidden Treasures, enchanting me again with her alternative London, full of imagination and mystery. “I always wondered why they let the author do this,” she remarks playfully, mentioning the existence of more qualified PRs. Yet, at the same time, demonstrating just why she is the ideal person for the job.
Backlist Jessie Burton’s top five titles in the UK*
The Miniaturist Picador, pb, £9.99. 9781447250937
589,450 copies sold
The Muse Picador, pb, £9.99, 9781447250975
259,117 copies sold
The Confession Picador, pb, £9.99, 9781509886197
105,208 copies sold
The House of Fortune Picador, pb, £9.99, 9781509886104
67,494 copies sold *All-time sales through Nielsen BookScan UK to the week ending 7th October 2023. All print editions combined.
TheBookseller.com 15
Medusa Bloomsbury Children’s, pb, £8.99, 9781526662408
41,597 copies sold
© Lara Downie
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