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Egmont Publishing has struck a two-book deal for a middle grade series by “The Guilty Feminist” co-host and comedian Nat Luurtsema.
Commissioning editor Liz Bankes signed the deal for world rights in all languages with Hellie Ogden at Janklow & Nesbitt. The first book in the illustrated series Opie Jones Talks to Animals will be published in paperback on 6th August 2020.
The synopsis reads: “10-year-old Opie Jones is quite used to being totally unremarkable, and so she’s rather surprised to be recruited to join The Resistance – a team of mind-reading superheroes. Then it turns out Opie can’t read human minds – she can read ANIMAL ones. The Resistance are very disappointed – how is chatting to dogs and worms going to help them defeat a dastardly, brainwashing villain? But when The Resistance find themselves in trouble, it’s down to Opie and her animal gang to save the day.”
Bankes said: “We love funny books here at Egmont and are long-time fans both of Nat’s comedy and her writing, so we’re thrilled to welcome her to the list.”
Luurtsema added: “I’m so excited to introduce Opie Jones, thanks to Egmont. These books are about the pressure to be special, the importance of compassion to all living things and why a cat sidekick is a doomed idea that will end in injury and blame.”
Luurtsema was a stand-up comic for eight years and is now a comedy writer, author, film-maker. To date, she has written YA books Cuckoo in the Nest (Hodder), Girl Out of Water (Walker) and Lou Out of Luck (Walker).