Wattpad Books Announces Acquisition of Beth Reekles’ Quarantine-Romance Lockdown on London Lane
From the author of the international teen sensation The Kissing Booth, Reekles’ new book is among the world’s first quarantine-inspired romance story collections
TORONTO - July 22, 2020 - Wattpad Books, the leader in data-backed publishing, today announced the acquisition of Beth Reekles’ Lockdown on London Lane. One of the world’s first quarantine-inspired romance books, Lockdown on London Lane is a whirlwind story collection that chronicles the love-lives of a group of Londoners stuck in lockdown. The book will be published as part of Wattpad Books’ Winter 2022 list, and is the publisher’s first Contemporary Romance title after continued success with diverse and data-backed Young Adult titles. Deanna McFadden, Publishing Director at Wattpad Studios, acquired North American and Canadian rights from Clare Wallace at the Darley Anderson Literary, TV and Film Agency.
Lockdown on London Lane was started on Wattpad in April 2020 and has already become a hit on the platform, accumulating more than 329,000 reads.
Lockdown on London Lane tells the stories of an apartment block in sudden lockdown, and a week its residents won’t soon forget. From make-ups and break-ups to one-night stands and perfect proposals, the characters in Lockdown on London Lane discover the highs and lows of love during quarantine.
“Lockdown on London Lane was such a fun book to write - self-isolating in lockdown posed some strange challenges, so it was exciting to find a creative outlet for that, and connect with readers on Wattpad by sharing it on the platform,” said Beth Reekles, author of Lockdown on London Lane. “Having a project and that sense of community definitely helped keep me sane! Wattpad has always been such a huge part of my career as an author so I’m thrilled to be publishing Lockdown on London Lane with Wattpad Books now!”
“Beth Reekles’ charming, witty, and timely stories in Lockdown on London Lane are inspired by a unique moment that the entire world has shared together,” said Deanna McFadden, Publishing Director at Wattpad Studios. “These stories explore the frustrations, tenderness, and proximities that can strengthen or sever the bonds that bring people together. We’re thrilled to bring Lockdown on London Lane to bookshelves across North America.”
Beth Reekles found international acclaim with her hit book and film series The Kissing Booth, which was first published on Wattpad in 2011. The story found enormous international success, accumulating 19 million reads on the platform and winning a Watty Award for Most Popular Teen Fiction before being published by Penguin Random House UK. The story went on to become a hit film from Netflix and Komixx Entertainment, which Netflix noted was “one of the most-watched movies in the country, and maybe in the world,” when it was released in 2018. Only July 24, 2020 the much-anticipated sequel, The Kissing Booth 2, will be released on Netflix.
Visit Wattpad Books for the latest information about upcoming titles.
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About Wattpad Books
Wattpad Books, a division of Wattpad, is the leader in data-backed publishing. Leveraging billions of daily insights from Wattpad’s global community of 80 million book-lovers, Wattpad Books combines the best of art and science, using human expertise and Story DNA Machine Learning technology to identify the trends, voices, and stories that are the future of publishing. By elevating the stories of diverse communities around the world, Wattpad Books is creating new space for writers and fans of every genre.
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About Wattpad
Wattpad’s vision is to entertain and connect the world through stories. Wattpad’s flagship app is the world’s leading social storytelling platform, home to a community of more than 80 million people who spend over 23 billion minutes a month engaged in original stories. Wattpad’s Story DNA Machine Learning technology allows the company to discover stand-out stories among the more than half a billion uploads that have been written on the platform. Wattpad Studios and Wattpad Books are transforming entertainment and publishing, using data-backed insights to turn Wattpad stories into books, films and TV shows. Wattpad Brand Partnerships help brands build deep engagement with Gen Z consumers. In 2020, Wattpad was recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company. The company is proudly based in Toronto, Canada. Learn more at company.wattpad.com