We are delighted to announce that UKBC rights for Rosanna Pike’s debut novel, A Little Trickerie, were preempted by Helen Garnons-Williams, Publishing Director of Fig Tree, in a six-figure deal from Katie Greenstreet.
Based on a true story of the so-called ‘Holy Maid of Leominster,’ a medieval conwoman who impersonated an angel and amassed a cult following, A Little Trickerie is a dazzlingly written, irreverent and big-hearted novel about hope and superstition, cruelty and kinship, dreams and daring – with an unforgettable heroine.
Born a vagabond, Elizabeth ‘Tibb’ Ingelby and her mother roam the English countryside, scamming men and dreaming of a home to call their own. When her Ma dies in childbirth after a trick gone wrong, Tibb finds refuge on the Norfolk coastline with a boy named Ivo. He cares for and protects her as a brother would, until his own demons become too much to bear, and she is once again left alone to survive on her wits.
Tibb joins a troupe of strolling players on a journey across Tudor England that leads eventually back to Ivo, and to the conjuring of an audacious plan that will enable them – and those they love – to escape the shackles of society. But when news spreads of miracles in the parish, their hoax takes on a life its own, drawing crowds – and then enemies – to the doors of the church …
Garnons-Williams says:
‘A Little Trickerie is an absolute delight, and the irrepressible, foul-mouthed Tibb is a glorious and utterly unique creation. Rosanna Pike has written a fresh, disarmingly funny and deeply moving picaresque story, set far from the rarefied, familiar world of the Tudor court, and we are thrilled to be publishing it at Fig Tree’
Rosanna Pike says: ‘When I came across the details of this historical hoax I was instantly captivated, and Tibb’s story came roaring into my mind. My thanks go to my agent, Katie Greenstreet, who saw the potential and believed in Tibb from the start. We have found the very best home for the novel at Fig Tree and I’m so excited to work with the excellent team there to share A Little Trickerie as my debut novel!’
Katie Greenstreet says: ‘Tibb’s is a voice that will grab you and won’t let go as she takes you on her wild and wonderful journey across Tudor England. This hilarious and heart-breaking debut is one I’m enormously proud to represent. Rosie’s characters feel like friends from the first page, and I can’t wait for readers to meet them all!’
Rosanna Pike is a former teacher and red-carpet interviewer for The Evening Standard who lives in south-west London with her family. She is a graduate of Curtis Brown Creative and the Faber Academy.
Fig Tree will publish A Little Trickerie in hardback in July 2024.