Sam Eades, Publishing Director, Trapeze Books, has won UK & Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, in a fiercely-fought auction from Juliet Pickering, to GLORY and a second novel by Jendella Benson, Head of Editorial at Black Ballad. GLORY was pre-empted in a six-figure deal by William Morrow in the US.

GLORY is a rich, heart-warming story of loss, love and family chaos, and marks an exciting new voice in fiction. Glory Akíndélé arrives back in Peckham, from her seemingly-glamorous life in LA, to mourn the sudden death of her father, and finds her previously-close family has fallen apart in her absence. Her brother, Victor, has been jailed; her sister, Faith, appears to have lost her independence and ambition; and their mother, Celeste, is headed towards a breakdown. Glory is thrown by their disarray, and rather than returning to America she decides to stay and try to bring them all together again. However, when she unearths a huge family secret, Glory risks losing everyone she truly cares about in her pursuit of the truth.

Sam Eades, editor, said: ‘GLORY is a thoughtful exploration of Nigerian heritage and how tradition and history shapes families and the relationships within them. It is also a compulsive page-turner, with several revelations and narrative turning points that will have readers racing to the end. And at this book’s centre is Glory, and what I love about her as a character is her ability to connect those around her, at a time where human connection feels more important than ever. Jendella is a phenomenal talent, and I’m thrilled that she has chosen Trapeze Books as her publisher.’

Jendella Benson, author, said: ‘I'm really excited to introduce Glory and her loving but complicated family. This book was inspired by my own "quarter-life" crisis and the push and pull you often feel as a young adult between defining yourself as an individual and the loyalty you have to your family and their expectations. Knowing how powerful it can be to see yourself and characters that you immediately recognise reflected in what you read, I really wanted to write a story that was rooted in the experience of being from a British-Nigerian family but also captured all colours and contradictions of being a Black British millennial who is still trying to make sense of their place in the world. Glory's struggle to find herself and deal with the burdens of family secrets and shame is something that I think everyone can relate to in one way or another and I'm really happy that Sam and the whole Trapeze team immediately understood what Glory's story was about. This is a slice of British life that as a reader I know we don't get to see enough, so to say that I'm delighted to contribute to British literary landscape in this way is probably an understatement.’

Juliet Pickering, agent, said: ‘To see GLORY grow from an idea into a novel has been a joy, and I’m thrilled to know that this troubled, wry and relatable young woman’s story will be widely read and enjoyed. GLORY has all my favourite ingredients: family dysfunction, friendship, romance and ambition, from a voice we don’t often find in fiction. Jendella is at the start of what I have no doubt will be a very exciting career, and I can’t wait to launch her debut alongside Trapeze in early 2022.’

About the author

Jendella is Head of Editorial at Black Ballad – the award-winning digital platform for Black British women – and has previously been a columnist for Media Diversified, MTV UK, and Christian Today. She has written for Metro Online and Independent Voices, as well as had her visual work featured in The Guardian, The Metro, The Voice Newspaper, and on London Live. Her short story, KINDLING, was published in The Book of Birmingham and her visual work has been exhibited across the UK and internationally, most notably at the House of Commons, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, and at the International Center of Photography in New York as part of ICP Projected in May 2018. Finally, Jendella is a TEDx speaker who has also appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour, as well as speaking at various universities and conferences.

GLORY by Jendella Benson will be published by Trapeze Books on 17 February 2022 in hardback, eBook and audio on 17 February 2022 in hardback, eBook and audio. Preorder now from Sevenoaks Bookshop for a signed first edition and exclusive print: https://www.sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk/shop/glory-by-jendella-benson/

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SAFE, a comprehensive anthology of writing by and for Black British men edited by Derek Owusu, co-host of the successful literature podcast Mostly Lit, has been bought by Trapeze. Commissioning Editor Emma Smith acquired UK & Commonwealth rights from Juliet Pickering for SAFE: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space. The anthology will be published in hardback, ebook and audio in March 2019.

What is the experience of black men in Britain? With continued conversation around British identity, racism and diversity, there is no better time to explore this question and give black British men a platform to answer it. SAFE: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space, is that platform. Including essays from top poets, writers, musicians, actors and journalists, this timely and accessible book brings together a selection of powerful reflections exploring the black British male experience and what it really means to reclaim and hold space in the landscape of our society. Where do black men belong in school, in the media, in their own families, in the conversation about mental health, in the LGBT community, in grime music – and how can these voices inspire, educate and add to the dialogue of diversity already taking place? Following on from discussions raised by THE GOOD IMMIGRANT and WHY I’M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT RACE, this collection takes readers on a rich and varied path to confront and question the position of black men in Britain today, and shines a light on the way forward.

Emma Smith said: “This book was impossible not to publish. It’s necessary, authentic and high-calibre writing by an impressive roster of contributors who collectively hold the power to shape attitudes and shift discourse. SAFE will amplify black British male voices, open minds and forge a conversation about cultural identity. I am so proud to be working with Derek on this agenda-setting book that will resonate for generations to come.”

Derek Owusu said: “This is a book about mental health, about violence, about racism, about homophobia, about colourism, but it’s also a book about love, about learning, about compassion and about community. I’m so grateful to have been given the chance to work on this book with so many amazing writers, people as passionate as I am about adding to the current discourse.”

Derek Owusu is a writer, host of hit podcast Mostly Lit, and mentor to young people at Urban Synergy. He discovered his passion for literature aged 23 – before then, he had never read a book cover-to-cover. It was a revelation that came too late for his university path, so instead of switching course, he snuck into English literature lectures at The University of Manchester.

SUBMISSIONS OPEN

Amongst contributors such as poet Suli Breaks, award-winning author Alex Wheatle, Channel 4 news reporter Symeon Brown, writer and Musician Musa Okwonga and Guardian editor Joseph Harker, a competition is now open for essay submissions – the winner of which will feature as the final contributor to SAFE. For more information and terms, please see https://www.mostly-lit.com/safe-competition

Follow Mostly Lit on Twitter or listen to their podcasts