20 Apr 09

Macmillan to publish eleven new Purple Ronnie titles

Major contract follows foreign language deal, new books licence and chart success

The literary success of Purple Ronnie, the UK’s top-selling poet, has been further boosted by three major new deals. Giles Andreae’s wildly popular creation is to author new titles from Macmillan and a doodle book from Michael O’Mara Books, and – for the first time – his views on life and love will appear in a foreign language.

Purple Ronnie’s long-term publisher Pan Macmillan has agreed a contract with licence owner Coolabi for a staggering 11 new titles. They will come out on the Macmillan Boxtree imprint over the next two years. The news comes hard on the heels of continuing chart success for the Purple Poet. Purple Ronnie’s Little Book for the World’s Best Mum was his latest hit in the Sunday Times non-fiction hardback bestsellers list, repeating the top five success of Valentine’s Day publications Purple Ronnie’s Little Book for the World’s Best Boyfriend and Purple Ronnie’s Little Book for the World’s Best Girlfriend. With Purple Ronnie’s Little Book for the World’s Best Dad on the way in mid May, the shirt-and-underpants-clad rhymer is undoubtedly looking at four hits out of four.

Coolabi has also signed a licence with independent publisher Michael O’Mara Books. Michael O’Mara will publish a Purple Ronnie Doodle Book as a major new addition to the publisher’s highly successful list of doodle books with a difference. Instead of blank pages the reader is given incomplete drawings to finish: Michael O’Mara calls its popular new take on an established theme ‘fun, simple and creative’.

And for the first time Purple Ronnie is taking his wit and wisdom to a non-English-speaking market – to Holland, in fact, where Purple Ronnie’s Book for a Smashing Grandad and Purple Ronnie’s Book for a Lovely Grandma will be published in Dutch this September by Uitgeverij BZZTôH BV, a major name in publishing in the Dutch market.

Jon Butler, Editorial Director of Boxtree, says: “The recent high placings of Purple Ronnie books in the bestseller charts are a tribute to the continuing relevance of one of the most successful licensed characters in the UK. We are delighted to be part of the success – both present and future – of this publishing phenomenon.”

Janet Woodward, Head of Licensing for Coolabi, says: “It is always gratifying when one of our properties makes a significant breakthrough. What is amazing in this case is that, even after 20 years of uninterrupted success, the market for Purple Ronnie books is still expanding, through new publications, new imprints – and now a new language!”

For further information please contact :

Jane Garner & Sallie Deary

jgarner@kilog.co.uk  /  sdeary@kilog.co.uk

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