Ridley Scott to Film WOLF BROTHER

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Redhammer and Scholastic Children's Books are today delighted to announce a new, exciting acquisition for Scholastic’s fiction list: THE JOSHUA FILES by MG HARRIS.

Fighting off competition from four other publishers, Scholastic have secured a 2-book deal with world rights for a major six figure sum from Peter Cox's Redhammer agency, whose previous major children's success is Michelle Paver's series CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS.

Book One in the series, THE JOSHUA FILES: INVISIBLE CITY is an exciting and tense adventure for 11+ readers. Elaine McQuade, MD at Scholastic Children's Books says, "Maria Harris writes so well. She has created a spooky action adventure with an incredibly clever but accessible plot where ancient Mayan myths meet the X-Files - it gripped us from beginning to end and we know that it will do the same for young readers."

"THE JOSHUA FILES is the biggest children's deal for a first-time writer this year," says Cox. Josh is such a universally accessible kid - he's smarter than Alex Rider, but much more vulnerable and human. It was wonderful for Maria, a first-time author, to have so much interest from publishers," continues Cox. "The quality of the offers and the proposals we received from them was extremely high. Finally, when we carefully looked at the marketing proposals, the sheer commitment and enthusiasm of Scholastic's entire team shone through brilliantly. They are a powerful force in children's publishing, and we have total confidence in them to make this the hit it deserves to be."
Click here for the news report in London’s Evening Standard -

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The New York Times has reviewed book three in Michelle Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, Soul Eater.  “The books are page turners”, declares the Times, “and Soul Eater is perhaps the most thrilling… Paced like summer blockbusters, the novels open with a bang and pick up speed from there… Readers will find that Torak and his companions could go a long way toward filling that Potter-size hole in their lives.”

The New York Times is echoed across the Atlantic by The Times (London) which also carries a major feature on Soul Eater and also suggests that Torak, the protagonist of the series, is a worthy successor to the Harry Potter mantle.

Read the full New York Times review here.

The New York Times interviews Michelle here.

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Orion Books and Redhammer announce the launch of Michelle Paver’s WOLF BROTHER podcast.  Narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, the podcasts will be released over 13 weeks via  Guardian Unlimited and iTunes.  The Guardian will drive traffic to the podcast from its website via banners and printed advertising, and audiobook retailer Audible is offering a bundle offer on the series downloads for the duration. Each podcast is topped and tailed with a message promoting the official series website www.torak.info, managed by Redhammer.

“We are lucky to have such an amazing product with which to entice new readers to the series at this stage in its life and see the podcast as the perfect way to do so," said Orion’s senior marketing manager Claire Brett. "The 13 week lifecycle of the podcast will take us up to publication of the next book the series, creating the perfect platform for the launch."

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In one of the largest book-to-film deals in Hollywood recently, that film rights to Michelle Paver’s best-selling CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS series of books have been sold to renowned film director and producer Ridley Scott and Fox Studios.

Set in 4000 B.C. in a world of dark enchantment, menace and superstition, the stories revolve around 12-year old Torak and his wolf companion as they battle great evil to save their world. WOLF BROTHER, the first book in the series to be published, sold over 100,000 copies in hardback in the UK within weeks of its launch. Foreign rights have been sold to more than 40 territories.

World rights to publish the series were originally acquired by Orion Children’s Books, in a hotly contested auction that became the largest children's book deal of the year.

The project will be produced by Ridley Scott from Scott Free with Vice President Erin Upson. Scott Free is the production company of Ridley Scott and Tony Scott.

Ridley Scott comments: "Wolf Brother is an enchanting book. Michelle has created a world that we have not seen before in any previous film. We are thrilled to be working with Michelle on this project.”

Ridley Scott adds his voice to a growing number of A-list celebrities who have been spellbound by WOLF BROTHER’s magic. Sir Ian McKellen, known to millions as Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings”, recently recorded the WOLF BROTHER audio book and said: “Like other great children's books which also entrance adults, Wolf Brother conjures up an utterly believable, yet original world where the story grips you to the very last page.”

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Orion Books has acquired the definitive biography of stage and screen icon Peter O’Toole, written by Redhammer client Carolyn Soutar, who worked as O’Toole’s stage manager.  Subjects of her previous biographies include legendary Irish comic Dave Allen and Rudolf Nureyev, both of whom she also worked with. -

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One of the most distinguished theatre and screen actors in the world, Ian McKellen is best known to moviegoers for his roles as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and as Magneto in the X-Men trilogy. He is also a firm fan of the CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNERSS series of books by Redhammer’s client Michelle Paver, saying of the first book in the series, WOLF BROTHER: “Like other great children's books which also entrance adults, Wolf Brother conjures up an utterly believable, yet original world where the story grips you to the very last page."

Redhammer is delighted to announce that Ian McKellen will read the entire, unabridged manuscript of the much-anticipated book four in the series, OUTCAST.

Photograph shows Ian McKellen recording Wolf Brother.

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Transworld Publishers, a division of Random House, has acquired world rights (excl North America) for Brian Clegg’s The Global Warming Survival Kit.

Susanna Wadeson, Publishing Director at Transworld, says: “In just the past couple of months a tornado has hit homes in London, the North-West has had dramatic flooding, much of the Midlands has lost power for 24 hours or more while the North Sea is eroding the Eastern coastline before our eyes. It is early February today and it is warmer than 12 degrees C in Scotland. Who knows what the summer will bring? None of us will want to be without Brian’s book and I’m thrilled that we’ll be publishing it!”

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Sarah Goodall, whose insider's account of life with the British monarchy became an instant bestseller in THE PALACE DIARIES has appeared on The Sharon Osbourne Show (“It’s a really, really good read!” said Sharon).

Hailed as “Racy, outrageous and hilarious - there's never been a Royal book like it” by the Mail on Sunday (who also gave it one of the year’s biggest serialisations) THE PALACE DIARIES is a unique insider’s view of what really went on during the most tumultuous period for the British monarchy since the abdication of Edward VIII.

“It offers a lively portrait of everyday life in the Royal Family... it’s forthright and personal" says Scotland on Sunday. Click here to read some of the extraordinary press and media coverage this amazing book has received. (pdf file).

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Redhammer is pleased to announce a new book deal for Martin Bell OBE to write the definitive epitaph of the Tony Blair years.

The Truth That Sticks dissects New Labour’s decade of scandals from Bernie Ecclestone to David Blunkett; explores Labour’s contempt for democracy, electoral reform and cash-for-peerages; attacks the illegal and utterly disastrous decision to go war in Iraq and the short-sighted, militarily naïve war in Afghanistan.  Bell berates the government for its maltreatment of soldiers and the faith-based foreign policy directing their deployment.  He reserves special opprobrium for Labour’s outrageous failure to ban weapons such as cluster bombs – a campaign with which Bell was intimately involved.

“We’re thrilled to be publishing Martin Bell’s new book”, says Simon Flynn, Publishing Director of Icon Books, “coming at such a crucial time for the Labour government. Acquiring The Truth That Sticks illustrates Icon’s growing strength as a publisher of topical political titles.”

Icon Books is part of the Independent Alliance of like-minded independent publishers – Faber, Canongate, Atlantic, Profile / Serpent's Tail, Short Books and Quercus. Sales queries for The Truth That Sticks should go to Faber reps or their sales office - 0207 465 0045.

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One of the year's largest serialisations has appeared in the Daily Mail for ZIGZAG: The Incredible Wartime Exploits of Eddie Chapman by Redhammer client Nicholas Booth. Codenamed ZIGZAG, Eddie Chapman was Britain’s greatest – and most unlikely – double agent. A pre-war safebreaker, Eddie was on the run from British justice when he was captured in Jersey and trained by the Germans as an agent: he became the only German spy to be parachuted into Britain -- twice. But Eddie was working for the British all along. His achievements surpass anything James Bond could have conceived: Eddie saved thousands of lives as the only double agent employed full-time on averting the V-1 doodlebugs in the summer of 1944 He was held in such high regard by the Nazis that he was awarded an Iron Cross: thus becoming the only Jewish person and indeed the only British national to achieve this distinction! Winston Churchill planned to assassinate Adolf Hitler using Eddie as the world’s first suicide bomber. With unique access to Eddie’s widow, family, friends, as well as Eddie’s own letters, Nicholas Booth’s authoritative biography reveals the definitive story of Eddie Chapman for the first time. Redhammer is currently selling television and rights. Click here to download a pdf media kit.

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Orion Children’s Books have acquired a new series of books through Redhammer from author Joe Donnelly.  Combining myth, magic and danger, the JACK FLINT series draws on Joe’s affinity with Scottish history and Celtic mythology to form an epic story. Packed with exciting adventure, suspense and intrigue, this is a striking new fantasy series from an established adult author making his debut as a children’s novelist. -

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Redhammer announces a major children’s deal for Amanda Lees with Piccadilly Press. KUMARI: GODDESS OF GOTHAM introduces a wonderful new children’s character – Kumari.

Says Piccaddilly’s Publisher & Managing Director Brenda Gardner: “We love Kumari and this is absolutely right for the Piccadilly list. She has the zeitgeist of today’s young girls and is certain to appeal to an international audience.”

“Kumari is an irresistible new character” says acquiring editor Anne Clark. “Every girl will instantly identify with her. This is just the kind of character and series that Piccadilly Press excel in publishing spectacularly well.”

The full press release (pdf) can be downloaded here.

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