Kate Hewson at Two Roads has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in award-winning comedian Laura Lexx’s imaginary diary of life married to Jürgen Klopp, Klopp Actually, as well as Pivot, a novel about an amateur women’s netball team, from Diana Beaumont at Marjacq in association with Andrew Roach Talent. Klopp Actually: (Imaginary) Life with Football's Most Sensible Heartthrob will publish in hardback, eBook and audio on September 3, 2020, with Pivot published in 2022.
Based on Lexx’s viral twitter thread, Klopp Actually follows our heroine, Laura, as she escapes the chaos of the world by imagining what football’s most sensible heartthrob would say as she navigates the stresses and anxieties of day-to-day life, from job interviews to furniture shopping in IKEA to making a birthday cake for their daughter, Klipp.
The original tweet has so far received 5.6m views on Twitter alone, 600,000 interactions, over 13.4k retweets and 55.4k likes, with interaction and endorsements from celebrities as diverse as Seth Meyers, Gary Lineker, Marian Keyes, Philippa Perry, Billy Bragg, Naga Munchetty, Sara Pascoe, Carol Vorderman, Georgie Bingham and Emma Kennedy. Marian Keyes said, ‘I'd LOVE to read a whole book of Laura's funny, clever, sweet imagination . . . it made me laugh a huge amount!
Laura’s forthcoming book has been highly anticipated by the likes of comedian Sara Pascoe who said: “Laura is so funny and I can’t wait to read this book and I hope it isn’t awkward when I *actually* marry Jürgen Klopp”
Likewise, Emma Kennedy said: “It’s rare to find brilliant new talent, rarer still to discover it on Twitter but Laura’s thread on Klopp was my highlight of the year. I cannot wait to see what she does in novel form. I shall devour it. A great shining comedic talent. Hup Hup Huzzah!”
Laura Lexx says: ‘I'm so excited that I have the chance to write – making people laugh with that thread was lovely in itself, but the fact that it's led to me being able to write a full book and another novel is just making me burst with pride. This goes out for everyone who ever messed about on Twitter instead of working . . . sometimes it pays off.’
Hewson says: ‘Laura’s Jürgen Klopp thread was the first thing to make me laugh in days, and it translates wonderfully to the page – it’s the hilarious, heartfelt escapism we all need right now. Just as exciting, though, is Laura’s funny, warm-hearted novel, and we’re thrilled to be Laura’s publishing home for what we’re sure is the start of a brilliant new branch of her career.
Pre-order Klopp Actually here.
Picture: Kara Gowlett
