Global Publishing Sensation ‘Half Bad’ Sets New Guinness World Records Title
New York, NY – Exactly one year after clinching her first publishing deal, British author Sally Green has smashed two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles for the ‘Most translated book by a debut author, pre-publication’ and ‘Most translated children’s book by a debut author pre-publication’.
Last March, Penguin UK acquired world rights to HALF BAD, Green’s supernatural thriller for young adults, with Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), quickly picking up North American rights. HALF BAD gained a whirlwind of support around the globe before publication earlier this month, selling into a whopping 45 languages.
A book is typically translated and successfully sold into other territories after proving to be a success in its domestic market, but international fervor around the manuscript of this novel has led to this unprecedented pre-publication success.
This new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title supercedes major global franchises such as The Hunger Games and The Twilight Saga at the same point in their trajectory.
Ken Wright, Publisher of Viking Books for Young Readers, comments: “All of us at Penguin are thrilled that Sally Green’s astounding debut has been embraced by so many publishers around the world. We have great expectations that HALF BAD will become a true international phenomenon.”
In testimony to the unprecedented early success and commercial appeal of the book, film rights have sold to Fox 2000 with “Twilight’s” Karen Rosenfelt as producer.
On the record-setting news author Sally Green says, “I’m a bit stunned, but mostly delighted to have achieved two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titles and to know that HALF BAD is going to be read all around the globe.”
On behalf of the Rights Team of Penguin UK, Rights Director, Zosia Knopp commented, “We have been obsessed with the HALF BAD trilogy from the moment we acquired it. We knew we had something incredibly unique and special to sell and we’re delighted to have achieved such unprecedented success in an extremely short period of time, and have no doubt that Sally is set to become an international star.”
HALF BAD introduces witches as an exciting new trend for both young adult and adult readers. Set in a modern world inhabited by covert witches: the witches have separated into two factions divided by hatred and united by only one thing – fear of a boy descended from both sides. Nathan lives in no-man’s land, on the blurred boundary between black and white magic. He is illegitimate, exiled, wanted by no one and hunted by everyone.
Sally Green lives in north-west England with her husband and son. Having swapped a high-pressured career in accountancy to keep chickens and make jam, in 2010 she discovered a love of writing and now just can’t stop.
HALF BAD was published by Penguin in the UK on March 3rd, 2014 and in the US on March 4th, 2014 and has now sold into 46 languages.
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