Potter Successor found?
Lindesay Irvine

An epic quest for an elusive golden grail, journeys around the world, fierce challenges, clues found in dusty manuscripts along with many a red herring.

JK Rowling’s multi-million publishing sensation will leave a gigantic gap in the market for children’s book market once the seventh and final book is published in July, and every children’s publisher has long hoped to fill it.

Previous candidates for Rowling’s turbo bestsellerdom have included Michelle Paver’s Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl books, and the Lemony Snicket tales. While all have been successful by any normal measure, none has produced quite the same unit-shifting magic as Potter.

The latest candidate arrives under the aegis of Barry Cunningham, the man who, as an editor at Bloomsbury, was the first to spot Potter’s potential. Cunningham is now tipping a fantasy tale about a boy archaeologist, who discovers a world of thrilling adventure after digging a hole, as the next enormously big thing.

Cunningham found the first of the books, Tunnels, after its joint authors Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams pooled their resources to self-publish a deluxe edition. The first print run, sold through Gordon’s local bookshop in Norfolk, apparently sold out within hours—a sensational success for a self-published book—and word reached Cunningham.

With the backing of Cunningham the book has gone on to sell pre-publication rights in 15 languages around the world, securing advances totalling more than £500,000.

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