Little, Brown to publish Gill Hornby's debut novel, The Hive

Posted by Felice Howden in Book News, Little,Brown

Little, Brown is delighted to announce the acquisition of Gill Hornby’s brilliant debut novel, The Hive.

Editor-in-Chief Antonia Hodgson acquired British Commonwealth rights in a two-book deal with Caroline Wood at Felicity Bryan Associates, after a heated auction. The Hive will be published under the Little, Brown/Abacus imprint, with its first publication set for spring/summer 2013.

The Hive follows the friendships and feuds of a group of women who meet at the school gate each day. Over the course of a school year – and under the guise of the school’s charity committee – they scheme, support, compete and jostle for position in their unspoken but fiercely run hierarchy. From the joys and perils (well, mainly perils) of the Lunch Ladder; to the military operation that is the Car Boot Sale; to the creation of a vaguely convincing Dalek costume for a small child, all human life is here… The result is an astonishingly accomplished debut novel – wise, touching and very, very funny.

Antonia Hodgson says: ‘The moment I started reading The Hive I knew this was something very special. It really is breathtakingly good – filled with brilliant observations, lovable characters and some of the funniest scenes and one-liners I’ve ever read. It’s the kind of book you want to recommend to everyone you know – because you know they’re in for a huge treat. We are thrilled to be working with Gill both on her outstanding debut and her long-term career.’

Gill Hornby says: ‘I was overwhelmed by the warm response to The Hive and am delighted to be starting my fiction career with the expert guidance of Antonia Hodgson at Little, Brown.’

About Gill Hornby

Gill Hornby is a journalist and writer. She has four children and lives with her husband, Robert Harris, in Kintbury, Berkshire.