Here at Avon Books, we’re thrilled to have signed a two-book deal with Waterstones’ social media coordinator Barnaby Walter. Phoebe Morgan acquired World English Language rights to A Version of the Truth and one other book from Joanna Swainson at Hardman & Swainson. Barnaby’s debut, about a woman who finds horrifying material on her husband’s laptop that links to a dark and complex underworld at an elite UK university, is his first thriller, and is slated for publication in 2019.
Phoebe Morgan, Commissioning Editor at Avon said: ‘I am so excited to bring Barnaby to the Avon list – he is an incredibly talented young writer and his debut sent chills up my spine. This is a brilliant, dark look into a secret elitist world and I can’t wait to share it with readers.’
Barnaby Walter said: ‘I am overjoyed to be signing with Avon and joining such a terrific, passionate team. I have avidly read and enjoyed many of their titles over the years and it is a dream come true for my book to find a home within their brilliant family.’
Swainson said: ‘Barnaby’s novel makes for compulsive reading. The characterisation, the tension, the way the story unfolds: it’s a page turner in the truest sense. I gobbled it up and am really thrilled an editor as passionate as Phoebe has acquired it.’
25-year-old Walter is an alumni of the Faber Academy. A Version of the Truth is his first novel. You can follow him on Twitter @BarnabyWalter.
