Pan Macmillan acquires two S. L. Grey novels
So the week leading up to Frankfurt is always frenetic with lots of exciting proposals and scripts coming in. I've had some really great submissions recently and I was teasing on Twitter yesterday saying I had big news to tell everyone.
Pan Macmillan is thrilled to announce the acquisition of two S. L. Grey novels by Julie Crisp, Editorial Director, in a six-figure deal with agent Oli Munson, of AM Heath, after a hard-fought pre-Frankfurt auction. Rights have already been sold in Germany, France and Holland.
Crisp said of the deal: ‘I’m so excited to be able to welcome such a talented writing duo to Pan Macmillan. Underground took my breath away with its pacing, brilliant characterisation and tension-filled stand-off. It’s a nail-biting read for all the best reasons. ’
A high concept thriller with overtones of Stephen King, Underground takes place in The Sanctum, a luxurious, self-sustaining survival condominium situated fifty feet underground in a remote location in rural Maine. It’s a plush bolt-hole for the rich and paranoid – a place where they can wait out the apocalypse in style.
When a devastating super-flu virus hits the States, several families race to reach The Sanctum. Among them are committed preppers, people who have invested a great deal of time and money preparing for any apocalyptic scenario. All the residents have their own motivations for buying into the development. All are hiding secrets. And when the doors lock and a death occurs, they realise the greatest threat to their survival may be trapped in the Sanctum with them…
S.L. Grey is a collaboration between Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg. Based in Cape Town, Sarah is a novelist and screenwriter and die-hard zombie fanatic. She writes crime novels and thrillers under her own name, and as Lily Herne she and her daughter Savannah Lotz write the Deadlands series of zombie novels for young adults. Louis is a Johannesburg-based fiction writer and editor. He was a bookseller for several years, and has a Master’s degree in vampire fiction and a doctorate on the post-religious apocalyptic fiction of Douglas Coupland.
Sarah Lotz said: ‘We're both thrilled that a publisher with such a stellar reputation as Macmillan is so enthusiastic about our writing. It's a real honour to join such an incredible list.’
Louis Greenberg said: ‘As a reader and bookseller, I've always been a huge fan of Macmillan's classily curated lists, so it's a dream for me to make it into their stable as a writer. We heartily look forward to our future projects together.’
UNDERGROUND will be published by Pan Macmillan in summer 2015.