Ken Follett and Hachette conclude new global english language deal
Follett’s THE DEEP AND SECRET THINGS to be published worldwide by Quercus and Grand Central Publishing in September 2027
New York, US and London, UK (March 11, 2026)— Ken Follett, one of the world’s most successful authors, has signed a new global English language deal with Hachette UK and Hachette Book Group for his new novel, THE DEEP AND SECRET THINGS. Ben Sevier, President and Publisher of Hachette Book Group’s Grand Central Publishing Group and Nick Davies, Managing Director of Hachette UK’s Quercus, acquired US and Canada rights and UK and Commonwealth rights respectively, directly from the Follett Office. The new novel will be published worldwide on September 21, 2027.
In September 2025, Hachette published Ken Follett’s critically acclaimed epic novel, CIRCLE OF DAYS, about the origins of one of the world’s great mysteries, Stonehenge. A major global bestseller, CIRCLE OF DAYS has been published in 21 languages around the world.
In his new novel THE DEEP AND SECRET THINGS, master storyteller Ken Follett immerses readers in a tale of family, religion, greed and ambition set during the sweeping societal changes of the Victorian age.
1853, South Wales. Helena Bowen, a young noblewoman, longs to study science, a wish that society denies her. When Helena first meets the Llewellyns, she knows little about their Quaker beliefs. The Llewellyns run a successful wheelmaking business, but despite their financial achievements, their religion calls for a life of simplicity, truth and equality between all. Lloyd Lewellyn, the owner’s son, epitomises all these values and his forward way of thinking deeply impresses Helena.
But then she encounters Lloyd’s cousin Johnnie, the beau of the clan, who – unlike Lloyd – is fiercely ambitious. His charming manner makes him irresistible to women and Helena also falls under his spell. But Johnnie is a risk taker. When a young teacher in the village falls pregnant with his child, and Johnnie makes an embarrassing and detrimental mistake in the company’s accounts, he runs away to London, to start fresh and build the empire he’s always longed for.
At first, all goes according to plan, and along the way Johnnie’s path crosses again with Helena’s. But Johnnie’s insatiable greed for lust and money is the cause for another, unspeakable scandal which may lead to his ultimate downfall.
The Deep and Secret Things tells the rise and fall of a young man and his legacy, set against the backdrop of the Victorian era, at a time of immense social and industrial change.
Ken Follett said of his new novel: “I love stories set in the Victorian era because of the shocking contrasts. Britain was richer than any country had ever been, but the London slums were places of grim poverty. Moral rules were strict, but rich men had mistresses and destitute women turned, in desperation, to prostitution. Dresses were gorgeous and parties were lavish, but the children of the poor started work at the age of seven. The Deep and Secret Things is about four characters who dangerously cross boundaries and live the lives they believe in—for better or worse.”
David Shelley, CEO Hachette Book Group and Hachette UK, said: “I am so proud that we will be publishing The Deep and Secret Things on both sides of the Atlantic, and honoured that Ken has chosen to continue his publishing relationship with the teams at Grand Central and Quercus. He is a unique storyteller and I can’t wait to share this book with his many devoted fans.”
Ben Sevier, President and Publisher, Grand Central Publishing Group, said: “It has been such a privilege to work with global writing legend Ken Follett. After bringing his acclaimed epic novel Circle of Days to his legions of American readers last year, I am thrilled for the opportunity to publish his newest The Deep and Secret Things and for the GCP team to make it a major publishing event in 2027.”
Nick Davies, John Murray Group Managing Director, said: “I’m thrilled that Quercus and Grand Central are able to collaborate again on Ken’s second global English language project with Hachette. Circle of Days became an instant Sunday Times bestseller last year delighting his fans with a deeply human story of the building of Stonehenge; The Deep and Secret Things is sure to captivate and thrill his readers anew as we dive into the Victorian era for one of 2027’s most exciting publications.”
THE DEEP AND SECRET THINGS will also be published in foreign language editions around the world including:
- Denmark: Gyldendal
- France: Robert Laffont
- Germany: Bastei Lübbe AG
- Italy: Mondadori Libri S.P.A.
- The Netherlands: Meulenhoff Boekerij
- Portugal: Editorial Presença
- Spain: Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial
About Ken Follett:
Ken Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. More than 198 million copies of the 38 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 40 languages.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978, which earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America.
In 1989, The Pillars of the Earth, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, reached number one on bestseller lists everywhere. It was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He is also a past chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and business. He lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
About Hachette Book Group:
Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading U.S. general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group, Grand Central Publishing Group, Hachette Audio, Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Orbit, Workman Publishing, and Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to several publishing companies.
Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Prize, James Beard Award, and other major honors.
We are committed to diversity in our company and our publishing programs, and to fostering a culture of inclusion for all our employees and authors. We are proud to be part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher.
Visit hachettebookgroup.com to learn more about HBG imprints. For updated news follow HBG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Threads, TikTok, X.com, Snapchat, and YouTube.
About Hachette UK:
Our mission at Hachette UK is to make it easy for everyone to discover new worlds of ideas, learning, entertainment, and opportunity.
We are one of the UK’s largest publishing groups and the market leader in e-books, with 12 autonomous divisions and over 50 imprints with a rich and diverse history.
We publish thousands of new books across the group every year and our authors include Michael Connelly, Alice Oseman, John Grisham, Val McDermid, Stephen King, Stieg Larsson, Nelson Mandela, Stephenie Meyer, Ian Rankin, J.K. Rowling and Malala Yousafzai.
Our award-winning adult publishing divisions are Little, Brown, Orion, John Murray Press, Dialogue Books, Hodder & Stoughton, Headline, Quercus, Bookouture and Octopus. Hachette Children’s Group publishes a diverse range of books for children of all ages and Hodder Education is a market leader in resources for both primary and secondary schools. In 2022, we welcomed Paperblanks, the second-largest premium stationery brand in the world, to our group.
We have offices around the UK, including our headquarters in London and the Hely Hutchinson Centre (HHC) for distribution in Didcot. We have subsidiaries in several other regions, including Australia, India, Ireland, Jamaica and New Zealand.
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