Event report: Undercover at Walker Books

On Saturday, I was lucky enough to be invited to the London offices of Walker Books for a preview of their new Undercover campaign. This is probably the kind of book event I like best, because I get to hear about all the most exciting upcoming YA titles straight from the people publishing them. Also in attendance were Becky of The Bookette, Liz from My Favourite Books, Sarah from Sarah's Book Reviews and Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

The first book introduced was Long Reach by Peter Cocks. This one's set for publication in early January 2011, and it's the first in a series of thrillers about seventeen year old Eddie Savage. We viewed the trailer, which has the feel of a well-made tv drama about it, and as a result I'm expecting this one to be gritty and edgy.

Next up was Flip by Martyn Bedford, a psychological thriller about a fourteen year old boy who wakes up in someone else's body. I love body swap stories, so my ears definitely perked up at this one. The Walker peeps were being extra careful not to give any plot twists away, which of course made me completely intrigued. Flip is Martyn Bedford's YA debut.

The next title was Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. While this one is already out in the UK in trade paperback format, it'll be published in regular paperback in March 2011. News to me was that the film rights to Clare's first series, Mortal Instruments, have already been optioned and that the first book has been cast. So, we could see City of Bones on the big screen as early as 2012. I loved that book, so I can't wait for that. Plus, everyone in the room who'd read Clockwork Angel already sounded really enthusiastic about it, including Becky from The Bookette - so I'm planning on checking that one out soon.

Then we heard about a new novel from Todd Strasser, called Blood On My Hands, set for UK publication in April 2011. I hadn't heard of this one before, but I love the premise. Another thriller, it's about a girl who stumbles upon the dead body of another girl, is found holding the murder weapon, and has to prove her innocence. This year I read Strasser's If I Grow Up and thought it was incredibly powerful, so Blood On My Hands is definitely going on my wishlist.

For me, the big surprise of the day was the news that Michelle Gayle has a YA novel on the way. While the name might not mean much to those outside the UK, Michelle Gayle has been both a successful actress and singer over here, so a collective murmur went around the room when her name was mentioned. The novel itself is about a girl who aspires to be a WAG, and it sounds like it's actually going to be a pretty empowering read. It sounds like Walker have some interesting plans for extra content with this one, too. Pride and Premiership is due for publication in May 2011.

Next, the news that 2011 also sees the UK publication of Girl Parts by John Cusick. This is a title that I WoWed a while back, before the US release, so I was especially happy to spot a copy in my goody bag. It sounds fun and clever, and I'm really glad to see it getting an official UK release.

Our next preview was of a new novel by award-winning author Mal Peet, entitled Life: An Exploded Diagram. This one is apparently semi-autobiographical, and was described as falling at the more literary end of YA. This one is set in England during one of the major crises of Cold War, and it sounds like a real coming-of-age story. Interesting stuff.

Finally, we had a special visit from author Zoë Marriott, who had been invited along to talk about her upcoming novel Shadows On The Moon. This was a real highlight, as I've had this book on my wishlist for a little while now and Zoë was both engaging and hilarious. Shadows On The Moon is set in a fantasy world based on feudal Japan, and it was fascinating to hear about the way that Zoë set about creating it. She even brought us all a miniature Japanese fan scented with cherry blossom, to evoke the world of the book while she talked about it. I'm expecting a strong female heroine and epic world-building. In other words, I'm already enamoured with this one.

All in all, there was definitely a buzz in the room about the Undercover titles, and I'm really looking forward to reading and reviewing them. A big thanks goes to Walker Books and to Zoë Marriott for making this such a wonderful event.