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Usborne bags 'hilarious' new series the Overthinkers' Club by Nat Luurtsema
Usborne has acquired the Overthinkers’ Club, a "hilarious" new illustrated series for readers aged nine and up, written in a diary-style format.
Rebecca Hill, fiction editorial director, bought world rights directly from author Nat Luurtsema in a two-book deal. Luurtsema is represented by Hellie Ogden at WME. Rights have been sold for both books in three languages so far – German, French and Dutch – with more deals expected from Frankfurt Book Fair.
The series will "tackle the emotional challenges of being a tween with humour, lists of solutions and haphazard comedy doodle illustrations" from Cécile Dormeau throughout. Book one, The Overthinkers’ Club: Happy List, follows 12-year-old Birdie, who is armed with her "happy list" and ready to take on all the emotional challenges of being a tween, from mental health and navigating new family set-ups to starting secondary school and dealing with friendship dramas. It will be published on 13th March 2026 with a further title to follow.
Luurtsema said: "The Overthinkers’ Club feels like a life’s work in some ways. As a naturally anxious person I have always aspired to a Golden Retriever personality. Recent years and global events have been a… challenge, but I persisted with my goal, and this book is everything I have learned about how to be happier.
"I was so pleased that Rebecca and Usborne loved Birdie, as this kid is basically my 12-year-old self and a bit weird, though well-intentioned, and I can’t wait for her to be out in the world."
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Luurtsema is a BAFTA, Royal Society of Literature and Royal Academy of Art nominee. She is also an award-nominated stand-up comedian, appearing on TV and radio. As a screenwriter, her short film, Island Queen, was nominated for a BAFTA in 2014 and her first feature film, Butterfly Stroke, starring Judy Davis and Florence Hunt, will be out next year.
Her play, Hot Girl Summer, was developed with Soho Theatre and the Arts Council and she is now adapting it into a film. She is also the author of the short story Howling Pack of Undesirables, which was nominated for the Royal Academy of Art and the Royal Society of Literature Short Story of the Year awards. Her previous books include Girl Out of Water (Walker Books), which is being developed for TV with the BFI.
Hill said: "I’ve been looking for a fantastically funny series for tween girls forever and, as a chronic overthinker, my younger self identified with every embarrassing moment, emotional challenge and friendship dilemma that the brilliant Birdie must navigate. This is the perfect series to thrust into readers’ hands when they’ve finished Lottie Brookes or the Dork Diaries, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone into the Overthinkers’ Club."
Louise Knight, head of rights, commented: "We’re not overthinking this – Nat Luurtsema’s blend of humour and pitch-perfect young teen experiences, along with Cécile Dormeau’s hilarious doodles, will most definitely make our publishing partners happy."
