Trends in YA fiction
April 15th, 2008 by Kathleen Bolton
Better late than never, but Bookseller.com reports some interesting trends in YA fiction from the Bologna Children’s Bookfair:
Fiction, especially series fiction, remained strong. Maeve Banhan, RH rights director, said: “It feels as though there is a definite move away from fantasy.” Instead publishers have been taken by the realism of a contemporary teen story from RH, Keith Gray’s Ostrich Boys, which has attracted strong interest in central and southern Europe, according to publicist Clare Hall-Craggs.
At the same time, Hodder reported exceptional translation interest in a futuristic debut novel, The Carbon Diaries by Saacci Lloyd, “a strong fiction title about a time when carbon is rationed, set in south-east London”. Davies said: “Horror is the new fantasy - there is still life in a dark, gothic romance,” adding that publishers were looking for “high-concept, fresh mystery” and strong contemporary fiction for girls aged 8-12.
HarperCollins held a one-hour presentation to showcase its ambitious plans for its new Bella Sara property, which combines books, trading cards and a website on a fantasy/horse theme, and by the end had two proposals on the table from major European publishers, said brand and properties director Claire Harding. HC also reported international appeal for its Magic Ballerina series with Darcey Bussell, and for David Walliams’ forthcoming novel, Boy in a Dress.
Doesn’t mean that your great fantasy WIP is dead, but that the YA market has finally reached saturation point in this genre.
