Del Rey picks buzzy title
Publishers Weekly also notes that Del Rey acquired “one of the buzziest books” showcased at this year’s London Book Fair, reflecting ongoing rights activity spilling out of the fair (publishersweekly.com). The pickup is listed in the same week-of-April-13 deals column, marking Del Rey’s attention to high-profile genre titles at the fair (publishersweekly.com).
Del Rey has picked up B.N. King’s *Wolfboy*, a three-book North American deal that Publishers Weekly tied to this year’s London Book Fair buzz. (publishersweekly.com) Publishers Weekly reported on April 10 that Emily Archbold at Del Rey bought North American rights from Veronique Baxter at David Higham Agency. The deal appears in the trade’s “Book Deals: Week of April 13, 2026” roundup. (publishersweekly.com) The novel is the first book in a planned trilogy. Publishers Weekly said the story is set at Hatherlea Experimental School and follows two 17-year-old best friends, “a werewolf and a telepath-in-training,” with publication planned for fall 2027. (publishersweekly.com) The timing matters because London Book Fair remains one of publishing’s main rights markets, where agents and editors shop books before publication. The 2026 fair ran March 10 to 12 at Olympia London. (publishingperspectives.com) Rights trading was a central theme around this year’s fair. Publishing Perspectives listed rights and licensing among the headline business topics in the 2026 program, and *The Bookseller* said rights trading was a large part of the fair’s business. (publishingperspectives.com) (thebookseller.com) The genre mix also fits the market Del Rey serves. Random House Books describes Del Rey as a Penguin Random House imprint focused on science fiction, fantasy, licensed media, and pop culture titles. (randomhousebooks.com) The fair’s hotlists pointed the same way. *The Bookseller* said romance and romantasy remained strong at London Book Fair 2026, with 73 novels in those categories across its agents’ hotlists, alongside heavy fantasy imagery and “skies full of dragons.” (thebookseller.com) So the Del Rey buy is not just one more weekly deal item. It is an early sign of how fast fair-floor buzz can turn into a North American acquisition when a genre title matches what editors think readers want next. (publishersweekly.com) (thebookseller.com)
