The essential journalist news source
Back
12.
September
2017.
Book Launch: YA Novel Emily Knight I Am...Awakened #diversity #strongblackfemale

Good afternoon,
Hot off the printing press, copies of Emily Knight I Am...Awakened, book two in the Emily Knight YA fiction series, have landed and we are loving the fierce design and the brilliant story within. London author (Stoke Newington), A. Bello, wrote the first Emily Knight story when she was just 12, just over 16 years ago. Back then, Abiola wanted to read a book about a young Black girl with superpowers, someone who wasn't like every other female lead in the books she was 'supposed' to be reading in school. Emily Knight is from a wealthy family, she has incredible superpowers, and goes to a brilliant school. Yet, she rebels against the path she has been placed on. She questions her strength, her background, even her family. Almost two decades later, Emily Knight is more relevant than ever. Publishers and the book trade talk about a need for more diversity in publishing, particularly for children and teens, yet little progress seems to have been made. Hashtag Press, an indie publisher that does things very differently, is to publish Emily Knight I Am...Awakened on September 28th 2017. It will be available online and in all good bookshops.

The author is hosting an exclusive book launch at Waterstones Islington on the evening of the 28th September. For press passes please get in touch (press release below).

Abiola is a successful street dancer, dance teacher, founder of The Author School and the Lil' Author Skool, and an award-winning entrepreneur (Great British Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist 2016). For interviews and editorial commissions please contact her media agents: info@literallypr.com. For press copies of this gorgeous new book please send us your name and address details.

Kind regards,
Helen Lewis
Director
Literally PR Ltd
www.literallypr.com   


ADVANCE INFORMATION SHEET

Emily Knight

I am...Awakened (YA Fiction)

By A. Bello

 

[image]Emily Knight is back! A. Bello's eagerly anticipated second book in the Emily Knight series is due for release in September 2017, following rave reviews for the debut novel that was first published in 2012 and reprinted in second edition in June 2017 by Hashtag Press. The series is written for 10 to 15 year olds with a female black protagonist who isn't poor, or from the ghetto, or struggling...she's rich, she's famous, she's talented, and she's finding out who she really is and facing her fears as a warrior.

Dark times are upon us. Neci is back and she is more dangerous than ever. The warriors are forced to pick a side and to stand up for what they believe in. The race is on to find the missing warrior first. It's the only way to prevent a war from happening and to stop Neci from destroying everything. Emily Knight has to get sharper, stronger and faster because Neci has made her a target and someone is going to great lengths to hurt her. Can Emily win the race? Or will Neci take her down once and for all?

 

About the Author

A. Bello is a 28-year-old author who was born and raised in London, where she still lives and works. She wrote her first novel at the age of eight - she fought monsters and dragons on a daily basis - and experienced her first taste of ‘being published' after winning a school poetry competition at the age of 12. Seeing her words in print fuelled a passion for writing that remains to this day. A. Bello first began writing the Emily Knight saga shortly afterwards (still only 12 years old!) with the intention of filling the gaping hole in children's fiction for an inspirational, strong, black female, young protagonist. This gap, nearly 18 years later, remains in the publishing world despite continued calls for more BAME background authors and diversity within characters and plotlines.

A. Bello received rave reviews for her debut book, ‘Emily Knight I Am...', as well as outstanding success with her Emily Knight Warriors pop-up book, which went viral in 2015 when it was gradually released online throughout the month of August. She is the founder of The Lil' Author School and co-founder of The Author School. The Author School was shortlisted for The Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2016.

[image]A. Bello is regularly called to talk at literary events and within the media, she has appeared in Female First Magazine, The Mirror, BBC1XTRA to name a few.

As well as being a writer, A. Bello is a professional dancer and teacher. She has performed for more than a decade in prestigious venues including The Royal Opera House, The Barbican, Sadler's Wells, Hammersmith Apollo, Stratford Theatre Royal. A. Bello has also appeared on The Apprentice, Got To Dance and Street Dance AllStars The Movie.

 

Talking points...

  • The series promotes diversity, strong black females, and shows boys and girls as equal... These are key messages that need to be communicated to children and teenagers - they're obvious - but they're still missing from literature or delivered in a patronising or non-effective manner.

  • Inspiring girls to go against the grain, break boundaries, question who they are ‘destined to be' in the eyes of others, fulfilling their own dreams and goals. 

ESSENTIAL DETAILS

Title:Emily Knight I am...Awakened

Author:A. Bello

Genre:Tweens,YA, Fantasy Fiction

Publisher:Hashtag Press

Publication date:September 28th2017

Availability:Paperback, eBook, International distribution

ISBN:9780995780644

Price: £7.99

Website:www.a-bello.com

Twitter:https://twitter.com/emilyknightiam

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/A.BelloAuthor/

https://www.facebook.com/emilyknightiam

Online press folder:http://bit.ly/2uy20EG

Press folder:http://bit.ly/2ndCeAS

Online profile:http://www.literallypr.com/public_relations/file/A.-Bello.php