TheAfterwards

The extraordinary new novel from A.F. Harrold: a story of friendship, acceptance and moving on. Comic, scary and deeply moving, this is an unforgettable readThe Imaginary has sold in 16 languages and was longlisted for the 2016 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. It won the UKLA 2016 Book Award in the 7-11 category and the 2015 British Book Design and Production Book of the Year AwardA stunning and collectable package, featuring fully integrated illustrations from award-winning illustrator Emily Gravett throughoutStrange, sad and extraordinary - perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Roald DahlA.F. Harrold is an English poet who writes and performs for adults and children. He spends his time showing off on stage, writing poems and books, and stroking his beard (it helps churn the ideas). He is the author of the Fizzlebert Stump series and the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal longlisted The Imaginary, illustrated by Emily Gravett. He lives in Reading with a stand-up comedian and two cats. Emily Gravett was born in Brighton. After leaving school with few qualifications, she spent eight years living on the road before getting a place on the BA illustration course at Brighton University. She won the Macmillan Prize for Illustration with Wolves, which was published to great acclaim in August 2005, winning many prizes and marking the beginning of an international career creating extraordinary books for children. She lives in Brighton with her daughter, partner and two rats.Fact: Ember and Ness are best friends. There's nothing more to say about it. It is what it is. It is what will always be. Ember and Ness. Then Ness dies. It is sudden and unexpected and leaves Ember completely empty. How can this be? When Ember finds a way into the Afterworld, she determines to bring Ness back. Because that's what friends do isn't it? They rescue each other. They help. They never give up. Ember and Ness. That don't change. A powerful, poignant, darkly comic and deeply moving story about friendship at its most extraordinary.A powerful and poignant story about friendship from the magnificent pairing of A.F. Harrold and Emily Gravett, the creators of the critically acclaimed and award-winning The Imaginary. Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Roald DahlA brave, challenging and beautifully written book that unflinchingly confronts death, grief and denial, but which is redeemed by a dark humour and, beneath everything, a beating heart of loveGripping and poignant, a look at what it means to be brave and alive in the face of lossInventively meshes - and blurs - the realistic and the fanciful ... Aided by Gravett's evocative art, Harrold brings this eerie, Briticism-laced tale about accepting change, letting go, and love's indissoluble bonds to an affecting finale that is very much grounded in real lifeBy turns scary and funny, touching without being sentimental, and beautifully illustrated by Emily Gravett, The Imaginary is a delight from start to finishA moving read about loyalty and belief in the extraordinaryThis is young fiction of the very best quality, showcasing inspiration, inventiveness and an intoxicating passion for storytelling. The Imaginary has the potential to be a family favourite and a future classicA witty story that intimately explores loss from a child's perspective