Alan Moore has signed a massive deal for two new projects with Bloomsbury -- the same publisher behind the Harry Potter novels.
The prolific author's six-figure deal includes a collection of short stories titled Illuminations, which Bloomsbury described as "dazzlingly original and brimming with energy" as well as "beguiling and elegantly crafted tales that reveal the full power of imagination and magic." Illuminations will go on sale in fall 2022.
The second project is a five-volume series titled Long London, set for release in 2024. Long London will travel throughout the titular British city from its "shell-shocked and unraveled" state in f 1949 to "a version of London just beyond our knowledge" which features "murder, magic and madness." Bloomsbury also described Long London as "epic and unforgettable, a tour-de-force of magic and history."
Bloomsbury editor-in-chief Paul Baggaley said in a statement, "[Moore] is simply a legend and it has been such a pleasure to listen to him talk about his ambitious Long London series as well as discovering the range of his shorter fiction."
Moore, well known for his comics work, including Watchmen and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, said that he was "bursting with fiction" and that he "couldn't be happier with the new home" his books have found at Bloomsbury. In 2019, Moore announced that he had no plans to return to writing comics, and believed that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic could potentially serve as a final blow to the industry.
"A near-legendary independent publisher with a spectacular list and a fierce commitment to expanding the empire of the word," Moore said on his partnership with Bloomsbury. "I have a feeling this will be a very productive partnership."
Source: The Guardian