Atria acquires BookToker Bateman debut

Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia, has acquired world rights to Luke Bateman’s debut fantasy series in a two-book deal, via Sean Anderson and Tim Wall at 22 Management.

According to the publisher, Bateman’s series will be an ‘epic quest’ with themes of love, conflict and redemption.

Bateman is a writer, poet, and former NRL player with the Canberra Raiders, retiring in 2020 to live in Western Queensland. He appeared as a bachelor on Network 10’s 2023 season of The Bachelor Australia. Bateman posts content about books and reading on his TikTok account, @lukesreads, and has launched Luke Bateman’s Book Club on Fable.

Discussing the acquisition, Bateman said: ‘Since I picked up my first fantasy novel as a kid, I’ve been in love with the genre. I’ve always had a runaway imagination (much to the chagrin of mother, who tried to keep me on schedule) and have always dreamed of one day bringing my imagination to life. The fact that it’s now not just a dream, but a reality, leaves me in tears. I am beyond excited to bring the stories from my head and heart to paper. This series has lived with me for many years and has grown with me, side by side.’

Atria publisher Anthea Bariamis said: ‘Not only is [Bateman] incredibly talented, he’s also a big book nerd like I am, and he knows the power of storytelling. I feel so lucky to be his champion as he begins his author journey.’

Atria plans plans to release the first book in the series in early 2027.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions