• RELATED STORIES

• New Ferguson memoir out in October

  Hodder & Stoughton has ...

• Bookouture signs French-set debut

  Digital imprint Bookouture ...

• RHG raises £60k for hospice charity

  Random House has raised mor...

• Digital leap at Bloomsbury

  Bloomsbury has reported an ...

• Children’s press Firefly to launch at Hay

  A new Wales-based children&...

"Seven figure" pre-empt for Puffin at Bologna

22.03.12 | Charlotte Williams

Puffin has acquired a "major new trilogy" for a rumoured seven-figure pre-empt at the Bologna Book Fair, snapping up three books by US author Rick Yancey.

Puffin Fiction publishing director Sarah Hughes bought UK and Commonwealth rights in the trilogy, The Fifth Wave, from G P Putnam's Sons, a division of PGI. Film rights have already been sold by the author's agent Brian DeFiore to GK Films and Material Pictures. Puffin plans to publish the first book in the trilogy in 2013.

The trilogy is described by the publisher as "I Am Number Four meets The Hunger Games", and a "fantastically fresh, distinctive twist on the alien invasion story", as teenager Cassie survives an alien invasion and begins a quest to find her brother.

Hughes said: "The Fifth Wave is fabulous, completely fresh and convincing entertainment from an award-winning writer. It makes you challenge your own assumptions and confront what you might need to do to survive. It is terrifyingly believable and a complete winner. We're thrilled to be publishing it."

Yancey's Alfred Knopp trilogy for young adults has been published in 17 countries, and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. His most recent YA series The Monstrumologist was published by Simon & Schuster.

 

• Charlotte Williams
• Puffin
• Rick Yancey
• Rights deal