united agents united children’s books rights guide Autumn 2017 All enquiries about translation rights unless otherwise stated to: Jane Willis (Email [email protected] Direct line + 44 20 3214 0892) Jane is assisted by Naomi Pieris Email [email protected] Direct line + 44 20 3214 2273 United Agents, 12-26 Lexington Street, London, W1F 0LE, UK Telephone + 44 20 3214 0800, www.unitedagents.co.uk 2 CONTENTS FRONTLIST PAGE NO Adult/Crossover DAEMON VOICES by Philip Pullman 4 THE GHOST WALL by Sarah Moss 5 Young Adult LUNE by Christina Wheeler 6 SATELLITE by Nick Lake 7 DARK GIFTS trilogy by Vic James 8 UNSCREWED by Helen Howe 9 11+ BIG BONES by Laura Dockrill 10 THE GOOSE ROAD by Rowena House 11 Children’s BOOK OF DUST: LA BELLE SAUVAGE by Philip Pullman 12 BILLY AND THE MINPINS by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake 13 SATSUMA BRIDESMAID by L A Craig 14 THE MIRACLE OF MOSES MOLE by Sandra Daniels 15 FREDERICK THE GREAT DETECTIVE by Philip Kerr 16 FENN HALFLIN AND THE SEABORN by Francesca Amour-Chelu 17 HAMISH AND THE WORLDSTOPPERS series by Danny Wallace 18 THE MATILDA EFFECT by Ellie Irving 19 THE MARSH ROAD MYSTERIES series by Elen Caldecott 20 FLAME’S STORY by Sheridan Winn 21 THE BIG GREEN BOOK by Robert Graves, illustrated by Maurice Sendak 22 BACKLIST HIGHLIGHTS Young Adult and Crossover 24 THE SHATTERED SEA trilogy by Joe Abercrombie 25 THE CELLAR by Natasha Preston 26 WHISPER TO ME by Nick Lake 27 LORALI by Laura Dockrill Children’s HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy by Philip Pullman 28 KRINDLEKRAX by Philip Ridley 29 SWIMMING TO THE MOON by Jane Elseon 30 DARCY BURDOCK series by Laura Dockrill 31 JUST WILLIAM by Richmal Crompton 32 THE SPRITES SISTERS series by Sheridan Winn 33 DICK KING-SMITH 34 United Agents—Children’s Authors 35 United Agents—Children’s Illustrators 36 International Sub-Agents 37 3 DAEMON VOICES: ESSAYS ON STORYTELLING by Philip Pullman ‘One of the supreme literary dreamers and magicians of our time’ Guardian Main Agent: Caradoc King Synopsis Rights sold: In over 30 essays, written over 20 years, one of the world's great UK (David Fickling) story-tellers meditates on story-telling. Warm, funny, generous, US (Knopf/Random entertaining and, above all, deeply considered, they offer thoughts House—Dan Frank) on a wide variety of topics, including the origin and composition of Complex Chinese (Rye Philip's own stories, the craft of writing and the story-tellers who Field) have meant the most to Philip. The art of story-telling is everywhere; present in the essays themselves, in the instantly Material available: pdf engaging tone, the vivid imagery and striking phrases, the resonant Extent: 480 pp anecdotes, the humour and learnedness. Together, they are greater Readership: Adult than the sum of their parts: a single, sustained engagement with UK publication: Nov 2017 story and story-telling. Useful websites: www.philip-pullman.com Other books by the Key Points author include: THE BOOK OF DUST trilogy His first non-fiction book, this is a unique collection of Philip HIS DARK MATERIALS Pullman’s essays brought together for the first time by Simon trilogy Mason, working closely with Philip. GRIMM TALES: FOR YOUNG AND OLD Reflecting on a lifetime of writing, each carefully curated story is a THE GOOD MAN JESUS meditation on the power and importance of storytelling. AND THE SCOUNDREL CHRIST With the world hungry for more information about Philip THE SALLY LOCKHART following the publication of the long awaited first volume of THE quartet: BOOK OF DUST there will be a huge amount of interest in this THE NEW CUT GANG book. series COUNT KARLSTEIN I WAS A RAT! THE BROKEN BRIDGE THE SCARECROW AND HIS SERVANT 4 THE GHOST WALL by Sarah Moss ‘Moss, you feel, sees clearly where we are just now.’ TLS Main Agent: Synopsis Anna Webber Rights sold: Sixteen year old Sylvie is spending the summer with her mother UK (Granta—Max Porter) and father in a University-sponsored re-enactment of Ancient Option publishers: British life. Unlike the students and Professor Slade who are France (Actes Sud) bivouacking in tents they are sleeping rough in the roundhouse Germany: (Mareverlag) built earlier in the year as part of a course on “experiential Poland: (Poznaski) archaeology”. Sylvie’s Dad is a stickler for historical veracity and Turkey (Kafka Kitap) an autodidact. Not only has he named his daughter Sulevia after Film: United Agents the Ancient British Goddess of Springs and Pools, but he can tell Readership: Crossover the Professor a thing or two about the ancient rites and rituals they Extent: 32,000 words are trying to replicate. It’s unbearably hot and the foraging tasks UK publication: Winter the students are given quickly sour. As Sylvie’s friendship grows 2018 with Molly, one of the students, she realises for the first time that Useful websites: it’s possible to defy her father although everything comes with a www.sarahmoss.org price and tension mounts as Sylvie’s loyalty is tested to the utmost limit. About the author: Sarah Moss is an Associate Professor of Creative Key points Writing at the University of Warwick. Her novel NIGHT WAKING was An extraordinary gem of a novel by a prize-winning author selected for the Fiction packing a major punch in just over 30,000 words. Uncovered Award 2011. After spending a year as a A coming of age story, in some ways it manages to be a social visiting lecturer at the comedy as well as touching on some darker issues. University of Iceland she wrote NAMES FOR THE It could be described as a modern day LORD OF THE FLIES, or SEA: STRANGERS IN even as ‘Sarah’s Brexit novel’. ICELAND which was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature’s 2013 Sample reviews for TIDAL ZONE Ondaatje Prize. She has published three further Sarah Moss is an impressively flexible writer…This is an intensely novels, BODIES OF contemporary novel…It is an excellent read. Guardian LIGHT, SIGNS FOR LOST CHILDREN and THE TIDAL ZONE, for A clever, well-constructed, moving, funny and very well-written which she has been novel, rooted in domestic reality but able to take on the big themes nominated for the Wellcome of mortality and the fragility and preciousness of life. Excellent. Book Prize 3 years running. Daily Mail 5 LUNE by Christina Wheeler 1984 meets THE HUNGER GAMES in this compelling YA debut. Main Agent: Synopsis Jane Willis Lune lives in Manna, a world of stability and plenty, floating above Rights sold: the devastated Earth. She bears the Stigma of the Traitor – a On submission punishment tattoo genetically inherited from a grandfather she has never met. Audio: United Agents Film: United Agents Lune’s life becomes entangled with three fugitives who have Readership: 12+ disconnected their compulsory implants, a transgression with Material available: ms extreme consequences – ‘If u remove ur Imp, UK publication: TBC ur let-go, put on a one-way chute to the Extent: 70,000 words quaking, flooding, burning Earth.’ But when Lune discovers social media archive of her grandparents as a young couple on the savage but beautiful Earth, Lune must decide About the author: whose reality she believes and what it really After her Media Studies means to be a traitor. degree, Christina worked as a documentary film maker, travelling the Key points world, recording the real- life stories of the people Lune, begins to question the man-made, seeming uptopian world she met. Now a mother of she has been born into. ‘If ten thousand people believe a lie, it’s three teenagers, her work still a lie’. has included storytelling with children at craft This fast-paced adventure imagines how language, technology and camps, and as a radio society might evolve, as well as wondering how much of our lives production and creative future generations will be able to discover from the social media writing tutor with young and data trail we are leaving behind. women in prison. She graduated with distinction Christina graduated with distinction from the Bath Spa’s MA in from Bath Spa’s MA in Creative Writing. Her influences for LUNE include MT Creative Writing for Chil- Anderson’s FEED, Patrick Ness’s CHAOS WALKING and David dren and Young People in Mitchell’s CLOUD ATLAS. 2016. 6 SATELLITE by Nick Lake Gripping space adventure about growing up in and out of gravity. Main Agent: Synopsis Caradoc King SATELLITE is a gripping adventure story set mostly in outer Rights sold: space about three 15 year olds. Leo, Orion and Libra, thanks to a UK (Hodder—Emma NASA experiment into reproduction were conceived, born and Goldhawk) have always lived on the Moon 2 Space Station. Part of the US (Knopf/Random experiment is to examine how they will react to life on Earth and House—Melanie Cecka) now, aged 15 the time has come for them to return. Although China (Jieli) through video contact and TV they are familiar with life on earth Italy (Mondadori—Claudia and their own families this ‘journey home’ will test their physical Scheu) and emotional response to the real life experience. Korea (Mirae Media) Taiwan (Sun Color) Film: United Agents Key points Material available: ms Extent: 90,000 words A gripping space adventure story, a discovery of life on earth, and a Readership: teenage scientific and medical story about growing up in and out of gravity. UK publication: Oct 2017 Other books by the Unlike anything Nick has written, though embracing all his talents author: as an author of fantasy, adventure and thrillers.