Embla Books, Bonnier Books UK’s digital-first imprint, has acquired two books from the Carnegie-nominated author Helen Watts.
Senior Commissioning Editor Bea Grabowska acquired World English Language rights from Saskia Leach at the Kate Nash Literacy Agency.
The Second Chance Bookshop, Watts’ adult debut and the first book in the deal, transports readers to the picturesque village of Broadway in the Cotswolds, taking them on a big-hearted, feel-good and life-affirming journey of second chances, female friendship and the healing power of books and the communities that form around them. It will publish on the 17th September 2026 with Watt’s second book following in 2027.
Helen Watts said: “I am thrilled to be working with Bea and the team at Embla Books, a publisher reputed for its dynamic and creative approach to commercial fiction. The Second Chance Bookshop has been an absolute joy to write, particularly because many of its themes are so personal to me. The novel also celebrates something I love . . . books, and the positive impact that sharing stories with friends can have on our everyday lives, not least in encouraging us all to live life to the full, no matter what age we have reached. I can’t wait to introduce best friends Imogen, Geri, Joanna and Kimberley to the world this September, and am excited to reveal what happens in the next chapter of their lives in 2027.”
Bea Grabowska said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with the very talented Helen Watts on her gorgeous adult debut, in which Helen seamlessly weaves together the joy and humour in the everyday with those more difficult, sometimes very painful, moments life inevitably presents all of us with. The Second Chance Bookshop is at once an uplifting and moving story of love and friendship, as well as being a powerful reminder that new beginnings are waiting for each of us at the turn of a page. We can’t wait for readers to discover it later this year!”
Saskia Leach said: “I am delighted that Embla will be publishing The Second Chance Bookshop by Helen Watts. Helen’s writing is warm, light and funny, while simultaneously exploring themes universal to women with real weight and grit. The Second Chance Bookshop is a glorious story about friendship, community and the unrivalled joy books can bring!”
Helen Watts is a Carnegie-nominated author who has previously written books for children and young adults, and short stories for adults. Her debut novel One Day In Oradour was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and won the Extraordinary Award at the Southern Schools Book Awards, while No Stone Unturned was shortlisted for the Historical Association Young Quills Award. Before turning her hand to writing fiction, Helen spent 25 years working in publishing and has run creative writing workshops in schools and libraries all over the UK. When not writing, she loves walking in the Vale of Evesham, just north of where The Second Chance Bookshop is set.
