Kerry Wilkinson Explained

Kerry Wilkinson
Birth Place:Bath, Somerset, England
Occupation:Novelist, Journalist
Education:Frome Community College, Somerset, University of Central Lancashire
Period:2011 –
Genre:Crime fiction, young adult fiction
Notableworks:The Jessica Daniel novels The Whitecliff novels
Awards:RoNA Award, International Thriller Writers Awards

Kerry Wilkinson (born 4 November 1980) is a British author and sports journalist born in Bath, Somerset.

In 2018, his book Ten Birthdays won the Romantic Novelists' Association award for Young Adult Novel of the Year. Along with Marius Gabriel, he was the first man to win a RoNA Award in the organisation's 58-year history.[1] [2] He is also an International Thriller Writers Awards winner, with Close To You, for best ebook original.

In March 2023, he wrote an article for The Bookseller, entitled Autism can be a huge publishing strength—and challenge[3] about how he was an adult when he discovered he was autistic.

Work

Kerry Wilkinson is an author who has had bestselling ebooks in the UK, Canada, Australia and South Africa. In 2011, he became one of the United Kingdom's most-successful self-published authors, but has since worked with 'traditional' publishers. In the final quarter of 2011, Amazon UK announced he was their top-selling author for their Amazon Kindle chart - and that he had sold over 250,000 ebooks.[4]

His first novel, Locked In, went to number one on the Amazon Kindle chart[5] and Apple's iTunes crime books chart.[6] At one point in November 2011, he had the top three books in the crime chart.[7]

He signed a six-book deal with Pan Books in February 2012 to publish his Jessica Daniel series of novels.[8] Shortly after, it was announced he was one of Amazon's top-10 bestselling UK-born authors worldwide for 2011,[9] and then one of Amazon's top-10 bestselling Kindle authors overall for the following year.[10] [11]

In September 2012, Pan Macmillan announced they had acquired a "fantasy trilogy for young adults",[12] the Silver Blackthorn series, Meanwhile, when the same publisher released the fourth Jessica Daniel book, Think of the Children, it became Amazon UK's no.1 ebook pre-order in February 2013, with the paperback peaking at number 19 on the UK chart.[13]

In August 2013, The Bookseller reported that Pan Macmillan had bought two more books[14] from Wilkinson, including a standalone crime novel, Down Among The Dead Men; and Something Wicked, a spin-off from the Jessica Daniel series.

A further deal followed in 2014 for another book in the Jessica Daniel series, another Andrew Hunter book, and a standalone crime thriller entitled, No Place Like Home. In 2015, the Bookseller reported his sales were "fast approaching the one million mark".[15]

With the Jessica Daniel series continuing through Pan Books in the UK, publisher Bookouture secured the rights to publish the series in the United States,[16] as well as global rights for "two psychological thrillers".[17]

In 2017, the first of those thrillers, Two Sisters, peaked at No.1 in Canada's Kindle chart[18] and the iBooks chart.[19] It also reached No.14 in the UK Kindle chart and No.20 in the United States.[20]

The second, The Girl Who Came Back, reached No.1 in the UK Kobo chart[21] and No.2 in the UK Kindle chart.[20] It also became his second No.1 in Canada.[20]

In 2021, publisher Bookouture announced Wilkinson's novel, The Blame, was his "30th book with us: the most titles Bookouture has ever released from one author".[22] It also acquired "World All Languages rights for two more addictive psychological thrillers, plus the coming-of-age novel Truly, Madly, Amy"[23]

A year later, the publisher said they had "signed a four-book mystery series with bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson".[24] The Whitecliff series was then released in 2023. The company also signed "a pair of linked books, about a girl who goes to a teenage sleepover: but when she wakes up, her friends have vanished."[25] The Night Of The Sleepover and After The Sleepover were released in October and December 2023.

In August 2024, Wilkinson signed a deal with Bookouture for his 50th novel to be published. The company's publishing director, Ellen Gleeson, said: "Writing 50 books is an incredible accomplishment. Kerry has an unrivalled understanding of what makes a small town tick."[26]

Awards

In 2018, his coming-of-age novel, Ten Birthdays, won Young Adult romance novel of the year at the Romantic Novelists' Association Awards.[27] [28] [1]

In 2020, his novel, Close To You, won Best Ebook Original Novel at the International Thriller Writers Awards.[29]

Education

Wilkinson attended Oakfield Middle School and Frome Community College[30] in Frome, Somerset. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Central Lancashire.[31]

Support

Wilkinson sponsors the annual short story competition for young writers in his home town of Frome. This is part of the Frome Festival.[32]

Bibliography

Miscellaneous

Jessica Daniel crime novels

The Jessica Daniel novels are also available as audiobooks, read by Becky Hindley.

Whitecliff mystery novels

The Whitecliff mystery novels are also available as audiobooks, read by Helen Keeley.

Andrew Hunter crime novels

The Andrew Hunter novels are also available as audiobooks, read by Nigel Patterson.

Silver Blackthorn novels

Other crime novels

Other novels

References

  1. Web site: Atkins wins Romantic Novel of the Year accolade; The Bookseller. www.thebookseller.com. Jan 5, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180306142813/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/atkins-wins-rnas-romantic-novel-year-744691 . 6 March 2018 . 6 March 2018.
  2. News: New romantics: after 57 years, men break through at the Romantic Novel Awards. Anita. Singh. The Telegraph. Jan 5, 2021. www.telegraph.co.uk . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313154559/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/13/new-romantics-57-years-men-break-romantic-novel-awards/ . 13 March 2018 . 13 March 2018.
  3. Web site: Autism can be a huge publishing strength—and challenge; The Bookseller. 1 March 2023. The Bookseller. 4 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230307005144/https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/autism-can-be-a-huge-publishing-strengthand-challenge . 7 March 2023.
  4. Web site: Alison Flood . Self-published ebook author becomes Amazon's top seller . The Guardian . 13 November 2024 . https://archive.today/20241113154858/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/feb/08/self-published-author-amazon-ebook . 13 November 2024 . 8 February 2012.
  5. Web site: Locked In is the No.1 Kindle novel in the UK. Oct 29, 2011. Jan 5, 2021.
  6. Web site: Locked In is the No.1 crime book on iTunes. Apr 28, 2012. Jan 5, 2021.
  7. Web site: Locked In, Vigilante and The Woman In Black are at No.1, No.2 and No.3 in Amazon Kindle's Women Sleuth chart. Nov 23, 2011. Jan 5, 2021.
  8. Web site: Singh . Anita . Self-published author Kerry Wilkinson lands 6-book deal . The Telegraph . 13 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120301192254/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9114579/Self-published-author-Kerry-Wilkinson-lands-6-book-deal.html . 1 March 2012 . 1 March 2012.
  9. Web site: Lee Child most successful UK Kindle author. www.thebookseller.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119080441/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/lee-child-most-successful-uk-kindle-author . 19 November 2015. Jan 5, 2021.
  10. News: Kindle ebook sales have overtaken Amazon print, says book seller. Shiv. Malik. The Guardian . Aug 6, 2012. Jan 5, 2021. www.theguardian.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20131231051001/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/06/amazon-kindle-ebook-sales-overtake-print . 31 December 2013.
  11. News: Amazon selling more Kindle ebooks than print books. BBC News. Aug 6, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120807072002/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19148146 . 7 August 2012. Jan 5, 2021.
  12. Web site: Pan Macmillan - Latest news and information from Pan Macmillan . 2012-09-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121213132322/http://www.panmacmillan.com/News/September-2012/Pan-Macmillan-acquire-second-series-from-Kindle-se . 2012-12-13 . dead .
  13. The Bookseller Magazine, 15 March 2013, page 20
  14. Web site: Another Pan Mac deal for Wilkinson; The Bookseller. www.thebookseller.com. 5 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20160412081448/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/another-pan-mac-deal-wilkinson. 12 April 2016.
  15. Web site: Wilkinson says publishers 'need to try harder' to innovate; The Bookseller. www.thebookseller.com. Jan 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20150930215821/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/wilkinson-says-publishers-need-try-harder-innovate-313308. 30 September 2015.
  16. Web site: Bookouture to publish Kerry Wilkinson in the US. Jul 18, 2016. Jan 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20160802041911/http://www.bookouture.com/2016/07/18/bookouture-to-publish-kerry-wilkinson-in-the-us/. 2 August 2016.
  17. Web site: Million-copy bestseller Kerry Wilkinson to write psychological thrillers for Bookouture. 27 Feb 2017. 5 Jan 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201043734/http://www.bookouture.com/2017/02/27/million-copy-bestseller-kerry-wilkinson-to-write-psychological-thrillers-for-bookouture/. 1 December 2017.
  18. kerrywk. 885253624049225729. 885253624049225729.
  19. kerrywk. 920057612422471680. 920057612422471680.
  20. Web site: Sales Rank Tracking for Author Book Sales on Amazon. NovelRank. Jan 5, 2021.
  21. bookouture. 909796934130561026. Oooooh! Look who is Number 1 on @kobo!. 18 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20221204095913/https://twitter.com/bookouture/status/909796934130561026. 4 December 2022. live.
  22. Web site: BESTSELLING AUTHOR KERRY WILKINSON PUBLISHES 30TH NOVEL WITH BOOKOUTURE! . Bookouture . 14 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210219150248/https://www.bookouture.com/2021/02/19/bestselling-author-kerry-wilkinson-publishes-30th-novel-with-bookouture/ . 19 February 2021 . 19 February 2021.
  23. Web site: Bookouture re-sign contracts with Clarke, Stelljes and Wilkinson. 17 December 2021.
  24. Web site: Bookouture re-sign more of your favourite thriller authors . 28 April 2022 .
  25. Web site: Bookouture re-sign contracts with thriller authors Croft, Jenkins and Wilkinson . Bookouture Team . 19 July 2023.
  26. Web site: Spanoudi . Melina . Bookouture signs Kerry Wilkinson’s 50th novel . The Bookseller . 13 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240819102550/https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/bookouture-signs-kerry-wilkinsons-50th-novel . 19 August 2024 . 16 August 2024.
  27. Web site: Colgan and Haig make RNA shortlists | The Bookseller. www.thebookseller.com. Jan 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20180215083929/https://www.thebookseller.com/news/colgan-and-johnson-make-rna-shortlists-729116. 15 February 2018.
  28. Web site: The RoNA Shortlists for 2018 are announced – RNA. https://web.archive.org/web/20180215143630/https://romanticnovelistsassociation.org/news_article/rona-shortlists-2018-announced/. 15 February 2018. 5 January 2021.
  29. Web site: 2020 Thriller Awards – International Thriller Writers. Thriller Writers. 13 November 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240419124544/https://thrillerwriters.org/past-nominees-and-winners/. 19 April 2024.
  30. Web site: Former pupil's novel in iTunes chart spot | This is Somerset . www.thisissomerset.co.uk . 2 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20130505082832/http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/pupil-s-novel-iTunes-chart-spot/story-13112662-detail/story.html . 5 May 2013 . dead.
  31. Web site: Overnight best seller - News & Events - University of Central Lancashire . 2012-09-29 . https://archive.today/20121223104016/http://www.uclan.ac.uk/news/overnight_best_seller.php . 2012-12-23 . dead .
  32. Web site: Frome Festival Short Story Competition Announced. 16 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230327154321/https://fromefestival.co.uk/frome-festival-short-story-competition-announced/ . 27 March 2023.

External links

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