BIG NEWS: J.K. Rowling to publish a novel for adults (but what is it about?)

From the Little, Brown website:

Little, Brown Book Group and Little, Brown and Company are delighted to announce that they will publish J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults worldwide in the English language, both in print and ebooks.

David Shelley, Publisher, Little, Brown Book Group, will be J.K. Rowling’s editor and will be responsible for publication in the United Kingdom with Michael Pietsch, Executive Vice President of Little, Brown and Company, responsible for publication in the United States. The book will be published by Hachette in Australia and in New Zealand and by Hachette’s companies and normal appointed agents for the English language in other markets.

The title, the date for the worldwide publication and further details about the novel will be announced later in the year.

J.K. Rowling said:

“Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life.”

David Shelley said:

 “Tim Hely Hutchinson, Ursula Mackenzie and I, and the whole team at Little, Brown in the UK, along with our colleagues David Young and Michael Pietsch at Little, Brown in the USA, are thrilled, honoured and proud to be publishing J.K. Rowling’s new book. “For me, quite simply, it is a personal and professional dream come true to be working with J.K. Rowling. She is one of the best storytellers in the world, and I am looking forward enormously to helping bring her new novel for adults to her fans and admirers, and to introducing her writing to new readers the world over.”

J.K. Rowling was represented by Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership.

Visit our JK Rowling author page

James Hall in UK The Telegraph:

Little, Brown, which is also home to authors such as Alexander McCall Smith and Jenny Colgan, refused to comment on the book, beyond saying that its title, publishing date and “further details” will be announced later this year.

As soon as the deal was announced, speculation swirled around Twitter about the book’s content.  Ian Rankin, the Edinburgh-based author whose highly-successful Rebus detective novels are also set in the city, suggested Rowling’s book will be a crime novel.

“Wouldn’t it be funny if J K Rowling’s first novel for adults turned out to be a crime story set in Edinburgh? My word yes,” he said. He continued: “Might explain why she left the neighbourhood (me, McCall Smith, Atkinson near-neighbours) and moved across town..”

Neil Blair, Ms Rowling’s literary agent at The Blair Partnership, remained tight lipped about the book. He said that it was “exciting news” when contacted by The Daily Telegraph but would reveal no more.

“At this time neither we nor Little, Brown are providing any further details I’m afraid,” said Mr Blair.

Read entire article here…

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About the Contributor

John Purcell

While still in his twenties, John Purcell opened a second-hand bookshop in Mosman, Sydney, in which he sat for ten years reading, ranting and writing. Since then he has written, under a pseudonym, a series of very successful novels, interviewed hundreds of writers about their work, appeared at writers’ festivals, on TV (most bizarrely in comedian Luke McGregor’s documentary Luke Warm Sex) and has been featured in prominent newspapers and magazines. ​Now, as the Director of Books at booktopia.com.au, Australia’s largest online bookseller, he supports Australian writing in all its forms. He lives in Sydney with his wife, two children, three dogs, five cats, unnumbered gold fish and his overlarge book collection. His novel, The Girl on the Page, was published by HarperCollins Australia in October, 2018.

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