Previously unpublished middle-grade story from Antonia Barber, author of The Amazing Mr Blunden.
“On the night when Gambolini’s Circus left town, Camellia Bossington-Smythe squeezed through the pantry window of her family mansion and ran away to join it…”
And so begins a roller-coaster ride of an adventure for Camellia, her future husband, Ben Glubble, and their daughter Daisy. It will take them on a journey from the Circus to Nonington Hall Funfair & Wildlife Park and on to the Island at the End of the World – the home of the Great Fudge Volcano itself. This is a classic children’s adventure from the acclaimed author of The Amazing Mr Blunden, The Ring in the Rough Stuff and numerous picture books including The Mousehole Cat.
For fans of other children’s classics such as Ian Fleming’s Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang and Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Antonia Barber wrote many books for children. Her second novel The Ghosts was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and was later made into the popular film The Amazing Mr Blunden (and readapted by Mark Gatiss for Sky in 2021). The Ring in the Rough Stuff also reached the Carnegie Medal shortlist and The Mousehole, a picture book illustrated by Nicola Bayley, is a perennial bestseller that was the Nestle Smarties Book Prize children’s choice. In addition, it won the British Book Award as Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year and has been made into an animated film and adapted as a stage musical. Antonia died in 2019.
Extent: 35,000 words
On submission
Illustrations: TBC
Primary agent: Caroline Walsh
Film/TV agent: DHA (Clare Israel)
Co-Agents: Chinese - Bardon Chinese Media; Japanese -Japan Uni
