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A new novel by former children’s laureate Malorie Blackman will be published by Penguin Random House Children’s in April.
Chasing the Stars, Blackman’s first book since finishing her term as laureate last year, is a love story between two teenagers, Olivia and Nathan. The story is set in space but based on Shakespeare’s Othello, a tragedy about the devastating effect of jealousy on a relationship.
Blackman said: “I have wanted to write a story inspired by Othello for quite some time - it has always been one of my favourites of his plays, full of twists and turns - but, but of course, I wanted to do it my way. I’ve always been a huge fan of all types of science fiction and I loved the idea of Othello set in outer space, with Othello as a teenage girl.”
Publisher Annie Eaton, who acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights from literary agent Hilary Delamere, said Malorie’s fans are “in for a real treat”. She said. “I couldn’t be more excited about Malorie’s new novel. It’s got all the ingredients that her fans will adore: a passionate but doomed love story, a plot full of thrills, danger, twists and surprises, all set in outer space.”
PRH Children’s will publish Chasing the Stars in hardback on 21st April (£10.99).
Blackman was children’s laureate in 2013-2015, during which time she helped set up YALC (the Young Adult Literature Convention). She is the author of several books for teenagers and young people, including the critically acclaimed teen series Noughts & Crosses (Random House Children’s).
Her last stand-alone novel was Noble Conflict (published in hardback in 2013 and paperback in 2014 by PRH). She also published an anthology called Love Hurts in 2015 on the theme of star-crossed lovers.