Our hugely talented authors and illustrators have been shining nearly as much as the sun this week! Here are the highlights…

We are over the moon to announce that Kate Weston’s hilarious YA novel, Diary of a Confused Feminist (Hodder Children’s Books), has been longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Award – the only children’s/YA title on there. The founder of the CWIP Awards, renowned comedian Helen Lederer, has given a reading of the novel in collaboration with World Book Night.

The shortlist is announced on Monday 1st June, and we’ve got everything crossed.

Diary of a Confused Feminist, has also been named as “Book of the Week” in The Sun this week, which has a circulation of around 1.2 million. They said: “a hilarious, authentic account of teenage life”.

Clare Pooley’s The Authenticity Project (Penguin Random House / Transworld), has been featured in a round up by the Independent of the “10 best uplifting books to read during lockdown“. The novel was called: “A heartening story about the importance of truth and friendship, with characters that spring to life on the page.”

The Authenticity Project was also featured in My Weekly Magazine this week, alongside Holly Bourne’s brilliant, newly-published novel, Pretending (Hodder & Stoughton).

Both Elizabeth Kay’s Seven Lies and The Authenticity Project have been included in The Irish Examiner’s round up of “5 new books to read in lockdown this week“.

Seven Lies (Little, Brown / Sphere) is currently sitting at No. 25 in the Hardback charts just one week after publication.

The YA Book Prize this week championed Holly Bourne’s moving YA novel, The Places I’ve Cried in Public (Usborne). Holly took part in a Twitter chat on Wednesday to talk about this hard-hitting novel, as well as taking part in an interview for The Bookseller.

Teresa Driscoll is in her fourth week of The Bookseller’s Heatseeker’s paperback chart at No. 1 this week with her brilliant psychological suspense, I Am Watching You (Amazon Publishing / Thomas & Mercer).

Abbie Greaves, whose debut novel The Silent Treatment was published earlier this month by Penguin Random House / Cornerstone, gave a wonderful interview for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club on Monday:

Namina Forna’s hotly-anticipated YA novel, The Gilded Ones (Usborne), has been chosen as “One To Watch” in The Bookseller this week.

Last night, bestselling author C.L. Taylor took part in a live Facebook event to talk about her new novel, Strangers (HarperCollins / Avon), as part of World Book Night.

Strangers hit No. 12 on the Sunday Times bestseller list this week.

Everyone’s favourite quirky heroine, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (HarperCollins / HarperFiction) by Gail Honeyman, has made it to No.15 on the Indie Bestseller Paperback this week, and has hit No. 14 in the New York Times paperback fiction list this week.

It is also currently being included in the Amazon “Fresh” category – which is their grocery channel. We agree that Eleanor Oliphant should be an essential item on everybody’s list.

Elizabeth Macneal’s stunning historical novel, The Doll Factory (Macmillan / Picador) is No. 95 out of the top 5,000 bestselling books (including children’s and adult fiction and non-fiction) this week – a truly outstanding achievement.

Tor have featured Ben Oliver’s dystopian novel, The Loop (Chicken House), in a round up of “New Young Adult SFF for April & May 2020”

It was announced this week that UK & Commonwealth rights to Alexandra Wilson’s brilliant memoir, In Black and White, have sold to Endeavour Press.

C.J. Tudor’s chilling thriller, The Other People (Penguin Random House / Michael Joseph) has won Bronze for Audiobook Fiction at the New York Radio Awards! The audiobook is read by actor Richard Armitage.

Debbie Johnson’s moving novel, Maybe One Day (Orion), has hit No. 4 on The Bookseller‘s Heatseeker’s list this week.

Beth Morrey’s beautiful “coming-of-age” novel, Saving Missy (HarperCollins / HarperFiction), has won the Bronze Award in the New York Radio Awards for Best Solo Narration. The novel is read by Olivier-winning actress, Dame Harriet Walter.

Henley Literary Festival recommended Beth’s beautiful novel to read during lockdown this week.

Beth Morrey, Abbie Greaves and Clare Pooley all took part in a panel this week for I Am In Print, talking about what it’s like to launch a debut in 2020, as well as offering writing advice to aspiring authors.

US rights to Grandad’s Camper by Harry Woodgate have sold to Little Bee Books in a link up with GLAAD.

French rights to Harry Woodgate’s Grandad’s Camper have sold to Elcy.

Croatian rights to Fiona Valpy’s The Dressmaker’s Gift have sold to Mozaik.

Freya Sampson’s The Last Library has sold to Cappelen Damm in Norway.

The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor has gone to Bruna in Holland.

Portuguese rights to I Am Watching You and I Will Make You Pay by Teresa Driscoll have gone to Presenca. This takes I Am Watching You to an outstanding 20 international territories.

Slovenian rights in While You Were Sleeping by Kathryn Croft have sold to Desk.

Michelle Adams’ Little Wishes has sold to AST in Russia.

We’re thrilled to announce that Rebecca Kelly, winner of the Exeter Novel Prize, has signed to the Agency with a dark and twisty story where secrets hide in the echoing, ghost trodden corridors of a Gothic mansion.