Bloomsbury Archer triumphed in a 9 publisher auction for Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson’s bewitching fantasy duology, GUTTERWITCH.
North American rights were sold in an upper six-figure deal, at auction, to Tiffany Liao at Random House Children’s. UKBC rights were sold to Vicky Leech Mateos, at newly-announced SFF imprint Bloomsbury Archer in a ‘significant’ six-figure deal. German rights were sold in a six-figure pre-empt to Ullstein by Melissa Pimentel at Paper Literary, and translation rights have currently sold in Brazil, Greece, Italy and Poland.
GUTTERWITCH follows Joan, a scullery maid and sworn-servant to a high-born mistress who wishes upon a fallen star to be the greatest witch in the land. Blessed with the wild magic of a star, years later Joan is summoned to a prestigious witching academy, where, alongside fellow outcast Prince Caspar of Fairie, she quickly finds herself at the centre of a dark plot and a new war among witches.
Sweeping, romantic, with a fantastical magic system, GUTTERWITCH is a coming-of-age story about a girl who dared to dream big – and whose power ends up surpassing anything she could have imagined.
Vicky Leech Mateos says: “I knew from the first line that publishing Esmie’s GUTTERWITCH would be a wish come true, and that Bloomsbury had the magic to make her a real star. This book is a gorgeous fantasy, but also a true human story too – a huge talent, Esmie is able to meld fairytale fantasy and romance with real human truths to create a story about coming into your own that took our breath away. We are so excited for this to be the first announced acquisition on our brilliant new
list.”
Catherine Cho says: “I am so proud to represent Esmie, in GUTTERWITCH, she has created an utterly magical world that feels both timeless and modern. These were such hard-fought auctions – people came out with their hearts for this project, and I’m so thrilled that Esmie has found a well-deserved home with Bloomsbury.”
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson says: “The sheer passion that Bloomsbury has shown for GUTTERWITCH has left me awe-struck. I am beyond proud to be working with Vicky and her brilliant team, at one of the most prestigious publishers of fantasy in the world. I have no doubt my book has found its perfect home. My eternal thanks for the support of my agency, Paper Literary, and the expertise of my wonderful agent, Catherine Cho, who negotiated a truly brilliant match.”
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson is the inaugural winner of the Future Worlds Prize. Her debut novel, The Principle of Moments, a Sunday Times bestseller, was published in January 2024, garnering a TikTok Book award nomination for Best British and Irish Novel. She regularly interacts with her audience of 25,000+ fantasy readers and writers across social media and sits on the Board of Trustees for a UNESCO City of Literature in the south of England. Her work primarily focuses on those living at the intersection of identities, whether that’s here in our world, or in others. She holds a BA in English Literature and Classical Studies from the University of Exeter.