Pan Fiction to publish Kissed by Christmas romance advent calendar
Pan Fiction is to publish Kissed by Christmas, which the publisher describes as an "industry-first" advent calendar for romance readers, made up of 12 novellas and 12 pieces of artwork.
The calendar, conceived by commissioning editor Kinza Azira and sales director Kadie McGinley, will feature novellas by authors described by the publisher as including "Sunday Times bestsellers and e-book chart-toppers", with the full author line-up to be announced in July.
The running order will only be revealed as readers open each day, to keep with what the publisher calls "the discover spirit of advent calendars". The novellas and artwork will be contained within a box featuring pull-out novellas and a collectible section.
Audio narrators signed up include Shane East, Zara Hampton-Brown and Brittany Pressley. Clare Hey, publishing director at Pan Fiction, is driving the project while Azira is on parental leave. The calendar will be available in print, e-book and audiobook and will publish on 24th September 2026. World rights are available.
McGinley said: "The genesis of this idea was to give our romance readers a truly special experience this Christmas. Our retailers were crying out for something exciting in this space so we wanted to create something covetable that the fans had never seen before and would be truly wowed by. Combining an exciting new format with 12 amazing authors and 12 stunning pieces of art means this is going to be the must-have gift for romance fans this Christmas."
Hey added: "It’s clear there is a desire from consumers for beautiful and collectible advent calendars across a range of luxury and more everyday items, and so it’s amazing to be able to offer one for romance readers. It’s a beautiful object that will grace any shelf and it’s made to last so it’s sustainable, not just for Christmas, but for your shelf for life."
