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Walker Books has acquired world rights in a pre-emptive six-figure deal for the first two books of a spy adventure series from authors Edward Docx and Matthew Plampin.
The Swift and Hawk Cyberspies fiction series follows two teenagers, who are recruited by a mysterious organisation after their families disappear.
The synopsis explains: "When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited by the secretive Mobius Program to crack an unbreakable code. They are immediately plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, that takes them from hidden tunnels beneath the British Museum to the dangerous docklands of Amsterdam in search of the sinister ship 'The Nightfall'. Caught in a treacherous world of spies and saboteurs, Swift and Hawk are pushed to the limit as they follow a trail that leads to the remote island of Spøklestark and straight into the hands of a dark and chilling enemy.
"Swift and Hawk Cyberspies is a fresh and exciting twist on the ever-popular spy genre, as coding and cutting-edge technology propel it into the 21st century. With extraordinary writing, breathless plot, contemporary themes and characters that leap off the page, this is an edge-of-your-seat adventure series perfect for fans of Alex Rider and Young Bond."
Executive editorial director Denise Johnstone-Burt acquired the rights from Bill Hamilton and Euan Thorneycroft at the A M Heath Literary Agency. The first book in the fiction series Swift and Hawk Cyberspies: Razor’s Edge, is slated for March 2022, and will be published simultaneously by Walker US.
Docx is a British journalist and author of four adult novels, including Self Help, which won The Geoffrey Faber Prize and was longlisted for the Man Booker. Plampin is the author of five acclaimed historical novels. They will be writing under the pseudonym Logan Macx.
Plampin said: “Seeing Swift and Hawk Cyberspies released into the world feels like the start of an amazing journey. It’s really exciting to be working with the brilliant team at Walker, home of some of the best kids’ literature around, and I can’t wait to see what readers make of Swift and Hawk’s adventures.”
Docx added: “I’m delighted to be part of the team with Walker – my house has long been full of their fantastic books. We packed Razor’s Edge with energy and fun and peril and pace and everything that got us hooked on the wonderful imaginative experience of reading in the first place. And I can’t wait to share the adventures of Swift and Hawk with young readers far and wide.”
Johnstone-Burt said: “I knew Ed and Matt would write a brilliant spy adventure for children and I’m delighted to have enticed them to Walker. Swift and Hawk Cyberspies is a series for today’s young readers full of action and intrigue and the most imaginative tech you’ve ever dreamed of.”
Walker US executive editorial director Susan Van Metre also commented, saying: “I am thrilled to have Swift and Hawk Cyberspies on the Walker Books US list. This is a spy series for the 21st century, when cloaks and daggers have been replaced by codes and drones. Swift and Hawk are two tech-savvy, tenacious kids determined to save the world, not unlike their sure-to-be ardent Gen Z readers.”