Macmillan Children’s Books has snapped up world rights in all languages, including audio, in a pre-empt by Sarah Hughes, Associate Publisher, from Becky Bagnell at the Lindsay Literary Agency. This major new series from award-winning debut author Louise Austin will be illustrated throughout by Katie Kear and will be a lead title for 2026.

Alex Abbott is [Un]Dead is a hilarious, highly illustrated new adventure series which will launch in April 2026 and will be irresistible to reluctant and confident readers of 8 to 12.

Sarah Hughes said: ‘Louise Austin is the real deal. Her writing is exciting, incredibly funny, warm and utterly child-centred in a way that welcomes readers of all abilities. We all know how transformative it is to read for pleasure and I challenge anyone to resist the joy of Alex Abbott. Louise is a rare find and we couldn’t be more delighted to welcome her to the Macmillan Children’s Books list.‘

Eisher Brar, Publisher, fiction and non-fiction at Macmillan Children’s Books said: ‘We are so excited to publish Louise Austin’s debut onto the Macmillan Children’s Books list. Her engaging and funny writing is sure to draw in young readers. Alex Abbott is inclusive and accessible – exactly what we want on our middle-grade and teen fiction list.‘

Becky Bagnell said: ‘Louise Austin writes with a fresh and vibrant voice which genuinely made me laugh out loud from the very first page. In Alex, Louise has created someone who readers will instantly warm to as they stumble through a journey of epic adventure. I’m delighted to see Macmillan and Sarah Hughes in particular bring this hilarious book to life.‘

Louise Austin said: ‘It’s a real honour to work with the incredible team at Macmillan Children’s Books and my brilliant agent Becky Bagnell. One of the great pleasures of working in the classroom is matching kids with books that get them excited about reading, and thanks to Sarah Hughes’ editorial vision and Katie Kear’s captivating illustrations, my hope is that Alex Abbott will inspire kids to keep turning those pages.‘