Chris Colfer to Publish YA Novel Titled Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal
August 10, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Melanie Chang
212/364.1167
Melanie.chang@hbgusa.com
Inspired by Colfer’s Original Screenplay, Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal Will Be Published on November 20, 2012, in Advance of the Film Release Later This Year
New York, NY [August 9, 2012] — Following the instant bestselling success of his debut novel, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell,#1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer will publish his first young adult book with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, it was announced today by Megan Tingley, the division’s Senior Vice President and Publisher. The acquisition of Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal for world English rights was made by Andrew Smith, Vice President and Deputy Publisher, and Alvina Ling, Executive Editorial Director, who will edit, with Rob Weisbach of Rob Weisbach Creative Management on behalf of Colfer. Written for teens ages fifteen and up, Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal will be simultaneously available in hardcover, e-book, and audio formats on November 20, 2012. The novel will be published in the UK one week later on November 27, 2012, by the Atom imprint of the Little, Brown Book Group.
The film Struck By Lightning is set to be released by Tribeca Film later this year and features Colfer’s own original screenplay. Colfer also stars in the film alongside Allison Janney, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Hyland, and Polly Bergen.
Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal follows the story of outcast high school senior Carson Phillips, who blackmails the most popular students in his school into contributing to his literary journal to bolster his college application; his goal in life is to get into Northwestern and eventually become the editor of The New Yorker. At once laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously dark, and remarkably smart, Struck By Lightning unearths the dirt that lies just below the surface of high school. At a time when bullying torments so many young people today, this unique and important novel sheds light with humor and wit on an issue that deeply resonates with countless teens and readers.
“When production wrapped on Struck By Lightning, I wasn’t ready to say good-bye to these characters and was thrilled when Little, Brown asked me to adapt the story into a novel,” remarked Colfer. “I felt the best way to tell Carson’s story was through his critical eyes in a journal he kept the last months of his life. So this is a story about adolescence, told through the eyes of a teenager, for other teenagers.”
“We are positively euphoric about the #1 bestselling success of The Land of Stories and were already looking forward to its sequel next year. So we are thrilled to have a new young adult novel from him as well,” said Megan Tingley. “Chris is a remarkable writing talent, and Struck By Lightning is a story that will entertain, enlighten, and deeply affect not only his millions of fans, but every person who has experienced the sometimes painful, sometimes funny alienation and confusion of high school.”
Chris Colfer is represented by Coast to Coast, and Glenn Rigberg at Inphenate.
ABOUT CHRIS COLFER
Chris Colfer is currently in production on the fourth season of the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe– and SAG award–winning comedy Glee. In 2011 Colfer was recognized for his work on the series with a Golden Globe award in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Colfer was also honored as a member of the 2011 TIME 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world. He is also a SAG nominee and a two-time Emmy nominee for his work on the show.
ABOUT LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is a division of Hachette Book Group (HBG), a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the second-largest publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions ofLittle, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, Orbit, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Digital.