Sphere to publish more fiction from global sensation Ali Hazelwood

Darcy Nicholson, Editorial Director at Sphere, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in five more novels from Ali Hazelwood, author of The Love Hypothesis. The Love Hypothesis has been a global bestseller and Tiktok phenomenon; Little, Brown has sold over 750,000 copies around the world. Hazelwood’s second novel, Love on the Brain launched into the top ten in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Singapore.

The rights to three adult romcoms (all as of yet untitled) were acquired from Tawanna Sullivan at PRH US and the rights to two YA novels (Check & Mate and another, as yet untitled) were acquired from Anna Carmichael at Abner Stein.

The three adult romcoms will all continue Hazelwood’s love for ‘STEMinist’ romance, which has fast become her trademark. Check & Mate is a YA romcom in which a young woman’s life is jumpstarted when she accidentally defeats the reigning bad boy of chess, inadvertently kicking off a public rivalry – and a match for the heart. All books are tentatively planned for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Ali Hazelwood said: ‘I’m over the moon about the opportunity to write more adult romance novels, and to venture into young adult, too! Readers in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand have been so kind to The Love Hypothesis, and I cannot wait to share more stories with them!’

Darcy Nicholson said: ‘The reader response to Ali Hazelwood’s first two novels, The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain, has undoubtedly been a career highlight and I am over the moon that Sphere will continue to publish her fiction for the years to come. Particularly exciting, is the opportunity to take Hazelwood’s writing to new audiences with the upcoming Check & Mate which we know will appeal to a roster of new fans as well as those already subscribed. We are poised to secure Hazelwood’s future as the Queen of TikTok Romance and we’ll be working closely with the brilliant team at Berkley in our shared goal of building Ali Hazelwood into the global brand she so deserves to be.’

Hazelwood’s adult novels have already been sold to 30 territories and Check & Mate has sold to nearly two dozen.

Photo credit: Katie Warren