HarperCollins Publishers Signs Debut Author for Worldwide Four-Book Deal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York and London (April 4, 2013)—Following a hotly contested auction at this year’s Bologna Book Fair, HarperCollins Publishers announced that it has acquired world-English language rights for the DARKMOUTH series by Shane Hegarty, Arts Editor for the Irish Times.
The four-book deal was negotiated by Nick Lake, Fiction Publishing Director at HarperCollins U.K., and Phoebe Yeh, Editorial Director, HarperCollins U. S. with Marianne Gunn O’Connor of Marianne Gunn O’Connor Literary Agency.
In this monster-hunting, debut middle-grade fantasy series, DARKMOUTH, humans and monsters—properly called Legends—live in separate worlds. And it is the Legend Hunters who work to keep the population safe. Our hero Finn is the son of the last remaining Legend Hunter. In a society where Legend Hunting skills are passed down through generations, Finn is slated to carry on that tradition. Ironically, Finn proves unskilled and the fate of the world rests with him.
“Shane Hegarty is a smashing new talent,” says Phoebe Yeh. “From the moment I started reading DARKMOUTH, I was captivated by his superb storytelling and his irrepressible Legend Hunters. We are delighted to introduce Shane to tween readers in North America.”
Commenting on the acquisition, Nick Lake says “Shane is the Real Thing. His warm, witty, wonderful voice caused a frenzy of excitement for everyone in the offices last week and I’m thrilled that we’ll be publishing this hilarious and distinctive new writer.”
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HarperCollins Children’s Books is one of the leading publishers of children’s books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many timeless treasures—Charlotte’s Web, The Chronicles of Narnia, Goodnight Moon, Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Ramona series, and Where the Wild Things Are—and popular new classics—The Graveyard Book, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Warriors, and Fancy Nancy. Consistently at the forefront of digital innovation, HarperCollins Children’s Books delights young readers through engaging storytelling in all formats, including ebooks and apps. HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia/New Zealand, and India. You can visit HarperCollins Children’s Books atwww.harpercollinschildrens.com and HarperCollins Publishers at www.harpercollins.com.
Contact Information:
Olivia deLeon
HarperCollins U.S.
