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Arcadia has picked up Michael Arditti’s The Young Pretender, the author's "revelatory" 12th novel and 13th book for the publisher.
Publisher Piers Russell-Cobb acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights from Arditti directly.
Arditti, a longstanding drama critic, first for the Evening Standard and then for the Sunday Express, draws on his theatrical experience to tell the story of a boy actor who dominated the London stage between 1804 and 1806.
The synopsis explains: “The Young Pretender takes place during Betty’s comeback tour at the age of 21, during which he revisits several of the principal sites of his youthful triumphs. As he seeks to relaunch his career, he is forced to confront his past, with tragic results. Michael Arditti’s revelatory new novel puts this long-forgotten figure back in the limelight. In addition to its rich and poignant portrait of Betty himself, it provides an engrossing insight into both the theatre and society of the age. In the process, it poses questions about the nature of celebrity, power of publicity and treatment of children, which are more pertinent than ever today.”
Two of Arditti’s earlier novels, Jubilate and The Breath of Night, both published by Arcadia, have been optioned for film and are currently in development with Shoni productions.