Sphere acquires ultimate escapist summer read from debut author Anita Faulkner

Sphere have acquired the rights to A Colourful Country Escape by debut author and graduate of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, Anita Faulkner. World rights were acquired by Rebecca Farrell, Commissioning Editor at Sphere, from Kate Nash at the Kate Nash Literary Agency, and Sphere will publish in the UK as a paperback original, ebook and audiobook in June 2022.

Author, Anita Faulkner, began writing A Colourful Country Escape several years ago and submitted the first three chapters to Sphere Commissioning Editor Rebecca Farrell during the RNA’s Industry One-to-Ones in 2020. Happy, hopeful and heart-warming, A Colourful Country Escape is an uplifting love story filled with cosy Cotswold charm, breath-taking summer escapism and a cast of colourful characters.

The synopsis reads: ‘When vibrant but penniless Lexie is dumped by her posh boyfriend for a more suitable match, she packs up her orange campervan in search of a new path and stumbles upon a vacancy at a family-run paint company in the Cotswolds. Crashing into wealthy owner Ben’s colourless world with a campervan explosion that scares his peacocks, Lexie realises she’ll have her work cut out for her if she’s to convince stuffy “Beige Ben” she can rescue his out-of-touch business. But the more time the pair spend together, the more they realise their feelings for each other aren’t so black and white . . .’

Commissioning Editor Rebecca Farrell said: ‘I am delighted to be publishing Anita’s glorious debut novel at Sphere. Ever since I read the first three chapters during the RNA one-to-ones, I could not get her larger-than-life cast of characters out of my head and knew that it was something we had to publish on our women’s fiction list. Anita is a fantastic writer with boundless creativity, passion and drive. She is without a doubt an exciting new voice in commercial women’s fiction and I can’t wait to get her debut novel into the hands of readers everywhere next summer.’

Anita Faulkner said: ‘I’m thrilled to have signed up with such an outstanding publisher. I’m honestly still pinching myself! I can’t thank my editor Rebecca Farrell, my agent Kate Nash and the Sphere team enough for believing in me and bringing my story to life. Huge thanks also to the wonderful organisers at the RNA and the New Writers’ Scheme who work so tirelessly to bring us these opportunities. Without a doubt, their support and dedication makes writers’ dreams come true.’

Kate Nash said: ‘Anita Faulkner is a sparkling new voice, and the charm and romance of this story will make you want to find a vintage orange camper of your own to head off to the Cotswolds in search of adventure.’

For Rights enquiries, please contact Andy.Hine@littlebrown.co.uk