Alex Webb of Rights People sold English language rights to Kerstin Gier‘s Ruby Red trilogy sold to Laura Godwin at Holt Children’s, on behalf of German publisher Arena Verlag.
Webb tells SFScope “Ruby Red has been a sensation in the German children’s book world. Published in January this year, it has sold nearly 50,000 copies in hardcover and has sold at auction in Spain, Norway, and Poland with other international sales imminent. There has also been huge press coverage in Germany including mentions in all the major newspapers and on the bestseller lists.
“Ruby Red—Love Through the Ages tells the story of 16-year-old Gwendolyn, who lives with her mother and her extended—and rather eccentric—family in an exclusive London neighborhood. Gwen finds it a real pain living with such a strange family that is so full of secrets. That is until one day when Gwen finds herself randomly transported through time to the turn of the last century. Then it suddenly dawns on her what her family’s greatest secret might be. But what isn’t made clear to her is that one mustn’t fall in love across the ages—that makes things exceedingly complicated!”
The second volume of the trilogy, Sapphire Blue, is scheduled to be published in Germany in Spring 2010, with volume three, Emerald Green, following a year later.
Kerstin Gier was born in 1966 and made her name writing humorous women’s fiction, published in Germany by Luebbe Verlag, including The Mother Mafia and A Problem for Every Solution, both of which topped the bestseller charts. She has written one other novel for children, Boys are Like Chewing Gum—Sweet and Easy to Wrap Round Your Finger, also published by Arena. She lives in Germany.