Author Jenn Bennett Pens US Debut YA Novel; Simon & Schuster Will Publish

29th April 2015, London - Simon & Schuster Children's Books (UK) today announced the acquisition of contemporary YA debut novel, Night Owls, from US author, Jenn Bennett.

S&S UK bought British Commonwealth rights from Anna Carmichael at Abner Stein; US rights were sold to Macmillan in a deal brokered by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary.

Cooler than John Green and more romantic than Rainbow Rowell, Night Owls follows the story of Jack and Beatrix who meet on the Owl - San Francisco's night bus. Both protagonists are artists, though wildly different ones: Bex is fascinated by anatomy and wants to be a medical illustrator, while Jack is a street artist, spray-painting giant gold words across the city's landmarks. When they meet, their worlds explode in the best possible way - and although they're on a journey that neither of them is supposed to be, they might just end up exactly where they need to go.

Jenn said 'I'm utterly delighted and honoured that Simon & Schuster are publishing Night Owls in the UK. Their heartfelt enthusiasm for this book has blown me away, and I can't wait for UK readers to see all the exciting things planned for publication.'

Jane Griffiths, Senior Commissioning Editor said 'Night Owls has cast a spell over the whole Simon & Schuster Children's team. It's totally unique, unforgettably poignant, and we couldn't be more excited to be publishing it.'

Night Owls will be published by Simon & Schuster in September 2015 as a paperback original. Book proofs will feature one of ten different spray-painted words from the book, and bloggers and reviewers will have a chance to win a prize by tweeting their graffiti tag to @hashtagreads using the hashtag #NightOwls. Prior to publication, eBook shorts called 'Owlets', featuring excerpts and exclusive author-led content, will also be available for free download.

Jenn Bennett is an award-winning visual artist turned urban-fantasy author. She has written two adult series published in the US and Night Owls is her first foray into YA. Born in Germany, she's lived and travelled extensively throughout Europe, the US and the Far East. She currently lives near Atlanta with her film-geek husband and two very bad pugs.

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