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The return of Simon's Cat, an angel series and a book described as "Wimpy Kid meets Lord of the Rings" were among the day one deals struck at Frankfurt.
Canongate bought the next two instalments of Simon Tofield's Simon's Cat, the YouTube phenomenon that was turned into a bestselling book. Publishing director Nick Davies bought world rights in a "very significant deal" with Robert Kirby and Duncan Hayes at United Agents. The as yet untitled books will be published in October 2011 and October 2012.
With Tofield currently published in 25 territories, Canongate expects "heavy interest" in the books this week. Canongate associate rights director Andrea Joyce struck "major deals" with Katharina Fokken at Random imprint Goldmann Verlag and Deborah Druba at Fleuve Noir.
L A Weatherly's Angel series has been sold for six figures in the US to Karen Lotz, managing director, Walker Group and president, Candlewick Press. The auction was conducted by Penny Holroyde on behalf of Weatherly, whose primary agent is Caroline Sheldon. In the UK, Usborne has just published the first title, Angel, with Angel Fire coming in June 2011 and Angel Fever in December 2011.
After a closely fought auction, Megan Larkin, fiction director at Usborne, has bought two comic novels for 10 to 13-year-olds, with the first described as "Wimpy Kid meets Lord of the Rings". The deal for a "good five figures" was agented by Piers Blofeld at Sheil Land Associates. Dark Lord: The Teenage Years, by computer games writer Jamie Thomson, features Dirk Lloyd, who according to his own account is the earthly incarnation of a Dark Lord. Usborne is selling US rights at Frankfurt. Translation rights are available from Sheil Land.
Atlantic editor-in-chief Ravi Mirchandani has bought world rights in a new novel by Jacqueline Yallop, whose debut, Kissing Alice, he published last year. Obedience is set in the south of France and is the story of three elderly nuns facing the imminent closure of the convent in which they have lived for decades. Obedience was acquired in a two-book deal with Tim Bates at Pollinger.
Corsair publisher James Gurbutt has bought world rights to Genus by Jonathan Trigell, author of Boy A. Gurbutt signed a two-book deal with Amanda Preston at Luigi Bonomi Associates. Genus is set in a future London, in which genetic improvements have made physical perfection the norm. It will be published in summer 2011.
Weidenfeld & Nicolson publishing director Kirsty Dunseath has bought The Chicken Chronicles, by Alice Walker, about keeping chickens. The book was sold by Anthony Goff of David Higham on behalf of Wendy Weil and will be published in the UK in April 2011.