RCS - BloomsburyPublishing - Bloomsbury launches new book by Katherine Rundell

Bloomsbury PublishingAnnouncement

14/09/2023 07:15

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RNS Number : 3709M  Bloomsbury Publishing PLC  14 September 2023

 

Bloomsbury launches new book by Katherine Rundell, described as "the heir to
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien"

 

 

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."

 

-ENDS-

 

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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