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Former Bath Spa student is writing her way to success

Friday, 8 July, 2016

A former Bath Spa student has signed a two-book deal with publishers Orion Children’s Books.

Jessica Butterworth studied MA Writing for Young People at Bath Spa and graduated in 2014. She also studied for her BA Creative Writing at the University, graduating in 2011.

Her debut novel, Running on the Roof of the World, is an adventure story aimed at children aged 10 and above. The novel centres around twelve year old Tash whose parents have been seized by soldiers. Tash and her best friend Sam must escape Tibet and seek help from the Dalai Lama in India.

Jess immersed herself in research for her novel which included living in India and meeting the Dalai Lama. She said: “I wanted to write an adventure that’s grounded in real settings and events. The book has found its perfect home at Orion and it’s a delight to be working with the wonderful team there.”

Felicity Johnston, Commissioning Editor at Orion Children’s Books, said: “Jess is a remarkable new talent. There is an extraordinary energy in her writing, and a wonderful sense of place. It’s rare to find a debut novel so fresh and different – we can’t wait to publish it.”

Orion Children’s Books is a subsection of Hachette Children’s Group, one of the most successful children’s publishers in the UK. The publishing house has popular books such as Horrid Henry under its belt.

Running on the Roof of the World is due to be released in 2017.