Bestselling author Ruth Hogan moves to Corvus in a two-book deal

Corvus Publishing Director Sarah Hodgson has acquired UK and Commonwealth Rights in Ruth Hogan’s The Phoenix Ballroom from Lisa Highton at Jenny Brown Associates. Bought as part of a two-book deal, North American rights went to Rachel Kahan, VP/Executive Editor at HarperCollins. The Phoenix Ballroom will be published in hardback and trade paperback in Summer of 2024, with a paperback following in Spring 2025.

Ruth Hogan studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths College and went on to work in local government. A car accident and a subsequent run-in with cancer convinced her finally to get her act together and pursue her dream of becoming a writer. The result was her debut novel, The Keeper of Lost Things. She is now living the dream (and occasional nightmare) as a full-time author with her husband and rescue dogs in a rambling Victorian house stuffed with treasure that inspires her novels.

Recently widowed Venetia Hamilton Hargreaves is left with a huge house, a bank balance to match and an uneasy feeling that she’s been sleepwalking through the last fifty years.  Determined to live fully again, she embraces life with an enthusiasm and purpose she’d forgotten she could muster.

Buying the dilapidated Phoenix Ballroom, and with it a drop-in centre and spiritualist church, could be seen as reckless, but Venetia’s generosity, courage and kindness provide a refuge for a touching cast of damaged and lonely people who find their chosen family. As their stories intertwine, long buried secrets are revealed, missed opportunities seized and lives are renewed, and the Phoenix lives up to its name.

The Phoenix Ballroom is a story of hope and second chances across the generations.

Ruth Hogan says,

‘I’m absolutely delighted to be starting a new chapter in my writing career with the wonderful team at Corvus and Atlantic Books. Since our first meeting, I have been convinced that this is the perfect home for me and my books and I can’t wait to begin working with them.’

Sarah Hodgson says,

‘I am thrilled and honoured to be welcoming Ruth Hogan to the Corvus list with her gorgeous uplifting new novel. Filled with Ruth’s trademark wit and warmth, The Phoenix Ballroom is one of the most uplifting novels I have read in the last few years, and will instantly fill anyone who reads it with a warm glow. The entire Corvus team is excited to get started on bringing Ruth’s beautiful writing to as many readers as humanly possible.’

Ruth Hogan’s previous four novels – The Keeper of Lost Things, The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel and Madame Burova were published by Two Roads, an imprint of Hachette, and between them have sold 1.3 million copies to date. Her work has been published widely in translation.