Could there be a better way to start 2022 than to share that Wahala by Nikki May publishes in the UK today in hardback (Penguin Random House)? The US edition will follow soon after on 11th January (HarperCollins). Wahala is set to be the most talked-about book of 2022.
Wahala is an unforgettable, razor-sharp tale of womanhood, food, and relationships, for anyone who has ever cherished friendship, in all its forms. UK & Commonwealth rights to Wahala were acquired by Jane Lawson at Doubleday / Penguin Random House who triumphed in a hotly contested, nine-way auction after the editorial director fell for its ‘charm and humour combined with its shocking killer twist’. US and Canadian rights were acquired in a major, seven figure deal by Katherine Nintzel at Custom House / Harper Collins, and translation rights have so far sold in four further territories. Firebird Pictures, the BBC Studios-backed production house, won the option rights after fighting off multiple bidders. The supremely talented, BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Theresa Ikoko (Rocks) has been bought on to adapt the novel, and filming will begin in 2022. You can watch Nikki catch up with book influencer WhatSarahReadNext on Instagram live to find out more about about the food, friends, places, and experiences that inspired Wahala and its unforgettable cast of characters.
The run up to UK publication has been a dazzlingly exciting one. Wahala is Red Magazine’s Pick for 2022, and was named as one of Grazia’s ‘It books to anticipate‘, and chosen as an editor’s pick on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, as well as reviews in OK!, Good Housekeeping, and The Sun, to name just a few. Nikki’s photograph has graced the cover of the i Paper and her hometowns Bristol Magazine, with the i Paper naming Wahala 2022’s Hottest Debut Novel. On Tuesday, Nikki took over the Zoella Instagram account to reveal Wahala as the January Zoella Book Club Pick, and she has also taken over the socials of New York and Sunday Times Bestselling author of Girl On the Train Paula Hawkins as part of the #ShareTheMic campaign. Nikki will be doing an in-conversation event with Bookbar, who have named Wahala one of their most anticipated books of 2022, on January 18th, and will be appearing at Bay Tales Live on 12th February as one of ‘THE debuts of 2022’. The response from the online community has been overwhelming and, excitingly, four major indie bookshops in London will be lit up with neon signs bearing the title to celebrate its publication:
Waterstones are also celebrating the release of this must-have book with a beautiful special edition, exclusive to Waterstones. Just look at those sprayed edges!
Early readers for Wahala cannot get enough of this explosive and wildly entertaining debut:
‘Fast-paced, funny, shocking, unputdownable. Loved it.’
Paula Hawkins, Sunday Times bestselling author of GIRL ON THE TRAIN
Pull up a seat at the brunch table for this delicious debut novel, as the lives of three friends are unsettled by a seductive interloper. Wahala is like the best gossip with friends: witty, tense, and entirely addictive.
Abigail Dean, Sunday Times bestselling author of Girl A
‘I got so immersed in the lives of Simi, Ronke and Boo, such flawed, lovable women, I just raced through Wahala. Nikki May writes so well about friendship, food, fashion and the many ways modern women can stumble in their careers and personal lives.’
Clare Chambers, Women’s Prize longlisted author of SMALL PLEASURES
Wow, what a debut!…Warm and fun, I loved watching the more sinister side to the story emerge. Fantastic!
Sarah Pearse, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE SANATORIUM
‘Brilliant… a funny, tragic, piercing portrait of modern women and friendship, written in glittering and discerning prose.’
Emma Stonex, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE LAMPLIGHTERS
So grab your friends, make yourself a drink, and get ready for some trouble! Introducing, Ronke, Boo, Simi, and Isobel – the newest girl group in town that you won’t want to miss:
Ronke, Simi, Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London.
They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English.
Not all of them choose to see it that way.
Everyday racism has never held them back, but now in their thirties, they question their future. Ronke wants a husband (he must be Nigerian); Boo enjoys (correction: endures) stay-at-home motherhood; while Simi, full of fashion career dreams, rolls her eyes as her boss refers to her urban vibe yet again.
When Isobel, a lethally glamorous friend from their past arrives in town, she is determined to fix their futures for them.
Cracks in their friendship begin to appear, and it is soon obvious Isobel is not sorting but wrecking. When she is driven to a terrible act, the women are forced to reckon with a crime in their past that may just have repeated itself.
Congratulations, Nikki, on all of your success! Readers can order their copy of Wahala here.
