Riveted acquires Gordon’s latest children’s book

Riveted Press has acquired world rights to The Midlands by Kate Gordon, in a deal brokered by Alex Adsett Literary.

The Midlands takes place during the First World War as 11-year-old Lorna Whittle and her 4 sisters are fighting their own battles in the Tasmanian midlands.

The publisher said, “Left with their cold and distant mother while their gentle father heads to war, the Whittle girls unleash their mischief amongst the wild countryside surrounding their grandparents’ farmhouse – painting cows, brewing stink bombs, and waging war on rules of every kind.

“But when their father’s first letter arrives, Lorna begins to suspect they’ve been told a lie …”

Riveted managing editor Rowena Beresford said, “In The Midlands, Kate weaves mystery, humour and heart into a celebration of the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood. Kate is one of Australia’s most insightful authors of books for children. Her ability to invite readers inside the skin of her characters is profound, and the Whittle sisters are sure to become enduring favourites.”

Gordon has written more than 25 books, including Aster’s Good, Right Things (winner of the CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers), Xavier in the Meantime (shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers), Finch (shortlisted in the Queensland Literary Awards) and The Haunting of Hindmarsh Hall (all Riveted titles).

Gordon said, “The Midlands is a love letter to the landscapes of Tasmania that have fascinated me since I was a little girl. It’s also an ode to every ‘wild’, ‘unruly’ and indomitable girl – then and now – who has refused to be made smaller by a world that might wish them to be.”

Riveted Press is set to publish The Midlands in April 2026 in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to coincide with Anzac Day.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions