This week, Liza and Kiya were lucky enough to attend the launch of HarperVoyager’s new imprint, Magpie Books. With a focus on publishing YA fantasy, science fiction, speculative romance, and horror, the Magpie launch was a great opportunity for us to catch up with editors and authors working in this space. 

There was a fantastic speech by Editorial Director Vicky Leech Mateos to commemorate the launch of the new imprint, and Godkiller by Hannah Kaner and The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi were looking beautiful out on display. It was great to see so many people taking copies away in their Magpie Books tote bags!

We were so excited to see Laura Purcell and Saara El-Arifi at the launch party too, especially since two YA fantasy books by Laura were the first titles to be acquired by Magpie. The first book, Silver and Moonstone, will publish in autumn 2023 with the next book out in 2024. Silver and Moonstone is described as a “claustrophobic, haunting tale told under the full moon – with themes of female survival and divergence”. The second book is a gothic woodland fairytale with a journey of self-discovery. 

When asked about her new venture into YA and being published by the new imprint, Laura said: “The books I read as a young adult captured my heart. In the same way, these YA novels are stories I’ve been longing to tell, springing from my greatest passions. I am so thrilled they’ve found their perfect home with Vicky and the exciting new imprint at Magpie.”