Germany says ‘Ja!’ to Creepy & Maud

WA author Dianne Touchell’s debut novel is heading to Germany.

Creepy & Maud, which was shortlisted for a Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Award in 2013, will appear in a German translation by the end of 2014.

The ever-humble author said it was a miracle she’d been published in her own language, much less overseas.

‘Creepy and Maud are about to travel! I hope they make new friends and start new conversations. They deserve that,’ said Touchell.

Touchell, who believes that extremes of teenage behaviour should be represented in literature rather than moralised over, said people should be very careful about invalidating the observations and judgements made by teenagers about the world around them.

‘So far, one of the most interesting things about Creepy & Maud has been that although it initially divides people, and generates strong opinion, it also opens a tense but honest conversation between teen readers and the adults around them. I am curious to see that same conversation within the German audience,’ said Touchell.

Fremantle Press rights manager Clive Newman said the German sub-agent for young adult and children’s writing was hugely enthusiastic about this book from her first reading and made a number of submissions to publishing houses.

‘The offer from Königskinder (a new imprint for YA titles within the giant Carlsen company) is an ideal placement for Creepy & Maud and may well lead to other offers for translation,’ said Newman.

Hilarious and heartbreaking, Creepy & Maud charts the relationship between two social misfits, played out in the space between their windows. The novel is available in all good bookstores and online. Links to the ebook are here.