MidnightSun acquires McDermott’s debut YA

MidnightSun Publishing has acquired The Big Things, a YA novel from debut author Meg McDermott.

According to the publisher, The Big Things is story about the unbreakable bond between teen Billie Blue and her twin brother, Oz. “But their overstretched mum knows she won’t be able to keep caring for Oz, who has Down syndrome, once high school is over. When she enrols Oz to live in a group house, outraged Billie [runs] away with Oz in the middle of the night.”

Billie accidentally kidnaps her best friend Charlie when she uses his car as their getaway vehicle. The three of them travel “from The Big Banana to The Big Prawn to The Big Easel” while Billie tries to work out a way for Oz to stay with her forever.

McDermott said, “I wanted to write the kind of book I would have enjoyed as a teenager. I wanted it to be a quintessential Aussie road trip story that’s a little bit deep with a side of young love.”

Based on the New South Wales Central Coast, McDermott is a writer, editor and emerging YA author. In 2017, she published a poetry collection, Roses, Wine & 2 Minute Noodles (Createspace). She holds both a Bachelor of Communication and a Bachelor of Laws.

MidnightSun publishing director Anna Solding said, “It’s a playful and fun story, but it doesn’t shy away from some of the bigger concerns confronting Billie and Oz around independence and growing up.”

The Big Things is scheduled for release in early 2027.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions