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Bestselling Team of Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers Sign Major Global Deal With HarperCollins

HarperCollins US and UK announced today the acquisition of IMAGINARY FRED, the first-ever picture book collaboration from the extraordinary team of Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers. Scheduled for publication simultaneously in the US and UK in Fall 2015, world rights were negotiated by Kate Jackson, Senior Vice President, Associate Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief, and Nancy Inteli, Editorial Director, HarperCollins US, and Rachel Denwood, Publishing and Creative Director, HarperCollins UK, with Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor Ltd. Oliver Jeffers is represented by Paul Moreton at Bell Lomax Moreton.

IMAGINARY FRED is a unique take on the concept of imaginary friends. It’s the story of two little boys and their shared love of movies, music, and comic books. It is about how a little bit of electricity, a little bit of luck, and a little bit of magic can spark a friendship like no other. The perfect chemistry between Eoin Colfer’s text and Oliver Jeffers’s artwork will make for a treasured new picture book.

“We’re thrilled to help bring to life Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers’s IMAGINARY FRED, a story that’s sure to become an instant children’s classic, with its unforgettable characters and clever storytelling,” says Kate Jackson. “It’s filled with hilarity and heart, and we knew right away we wanted this dream team on our list.”

Rachel Denwood adds, “An Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers collaboration is pretty much the stuff of dreams – they are simply two of the finest children’s book creators on the planet. IMAGINARY FRED is completely unique – it’s funny, poignant, original. It’s genius.”

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