14 September 2023
14 September, LONDON: Bloomsbury, the leading independent
publisher, today launches one of the year's most eagerly anticipated
children's novels, Impossible Creatures by Katherine
Rundell.
Impossible Creatures is the first in a career-defining, landmark
fantasy trilogy from the winner of the Costa, Baillie Gifford, British
Book Award, Blue Peter and Waterstones Children's Book Prizes.
As well as publishing hardback and ebook formats, the novel will also be
launched as an audiobook, narrated by the renowned actor Samuel West,
best known for his roles in All Creatures Great and
Small and Mr Selfridge.
On the back of a major publicity campaign the novel is set to be a
bestseller.
The Times (Saturday 9 September) selects the novel as its Children's
Book of the Week and leads with the headline "Katherine Rundell the heir
to C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien?" It continues, "the action is gripping
and every sentence sparkles in this excellent first volume of a new
fantasy trilogy".
The Sunday Times (Sunday 10 September) in the headline of its
book review writes "Katherine Rundell, a brilliant children's writer to
rival J.K. Rowling".
Bloomsbury has seen the highest ever level of pre-orders for a Katherine
Rundell hardback, already exceeding her previous biggest first week sale
of The Golden Mole.
Impossible Creatures has also been selected by Bookshop.org
as its Children's Book of the Month for September.
Since the pandemic the sci-fi and fantasy genre has been soaring and
according to data from Nielsen Bookscan, female authors now dominate the
bestseller lists.
Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, commented: "As stated in recent trading updates and results announcements, the phenomenal demand for fantasy fiction has helped drive record sales. Bloomsbury has a rich tradition in this genre and we have high expectations for Katherine Rundell to continue this trend. We are naturally overjoyed to see such widespread excitement around her latest novel."
For further information please contact:
Hudson Sandler |
+44 (0) 20 7796 4133 |
Dan de Belder/Emily Brooker
|
bloomsbury@hudsonsandler.com |
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Bloomsbury is a leading independent publisher of fiction, non-fiction,
children's, specialist, academic and professional titles, listed on the
London Stock Exchange. It is one of the few publishers with a portfolio
that includes both general and academic publishing. Bloomsbury's
ambitious growth story has seen the Group become a significant global
publisher with offices in the UK, US, Australia and India.
Katherine Rundell is a bestselling author whose novels for children include Rooftoppers, The Wolf Wilder, The Explorer and The Good Thieves for which she has won the Costa Children's Book Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, amongst many others. She was a 2021 World Book Day author and has also published two picture books for children and three non-fiction books for adults, including Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize and The Golden Mole and Other Living Treasure, shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year. Her books have sold over 2 million copies internationally.
Rundell spent her childhood in Africa and Europe before taking her degree
at the University of Oxford. She is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls
College and a Fellow of St Catherine's College, Oxford, where she works
on Renaissance literature. Very occasionally she goes climbing across
the rooftops, late at night.
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