Hodder Fiction wins three-way auction to Kenny Boyle's Scottish folklore horror
Hodder Fiction has won a three-way auction to Kenny Boyle’s Scottish-folklore-inspired horror-thriller, with interwoven Gàidhlig language and two additional books in a planned series. Senior commissioning editor Kit Nevile bought UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann. Shadows of the Burning Moor will publish in hardback, trade paperback, e-book and audio on 1st July 2027.
Shadows of the Burning Moor is set amid the dark mountains and deep lochs of the Outer Hebrides and focuses on an isolated crofting community on a small island. The synopsis continues: "When a young couple, Connor and Morgan, return to the place of Connor’s birth to live off his recently deceased uncle’s land, it becomes clear that there are many people in the town who want them gone.
"After a wildfire erupts suddenly on the moors, the simmering tension in the village ignites, and Connor and Morgan soon find themselves haunted by terrifying, nightly visitors. But are their attackers human, or something darker – something ancient?"
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Boyle is from the Isle of Lewis. He was the winner of Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland New Playwrights’ award 2021 and was a finalist for the Imison Award for Radio Drama in 2023.
Nevile said: "As a lover of all things eerie and otherworldly, I was absolutely entranced by Shadows of the Burning Moor. Kenny is a visionary talent, and there is nobody else I know with as much knowledge and passion for Scotland’s dark and mesmeric folkloric history. He has channelled all of that into this one-of-a-kind, brooding and bewitching tale. I am so excited for readers to experience the stunning world he has created."
Boyle said: "I’ve wanted to tell this story for years, but I wanted to tell it when the time was right. The folklore I grew up with, and the landscape I grew up in, shaped my life. That same folklore – mischievous and malicious, natural and supernatural, visceral and ethereal – is what feeds the fire of Burning Moor. With my inimitable agent Isobel Dixon, the invaluable insight of Kit Nevile and the perfect home at Hodder & Stoughton, the time to tell this story has arrived."
Dixon said: "Within moments of opening Kenny’s submission email I was captivated by the world – and netherworld – that he has created. It was wonderful to hear from others who offered and felt the same about Shadows of the Burning Moor, and to see Kit’s energy and vision win the day. Here’s to a great journey ahead!"
