LEAP, the new imprint of Bonnier Books UK focusing on inspiring positive personal and collective change, has acquired We Are Each Other by Jess Mills, Musician, CEO Founder and campaigner, in a significant overnight pre-empt.
Carole Tonkinson, Publisher, acquired UK & Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Lucy Morris and Rachel Goldblatt at Curtis Brown.
This is an exquisitely rendered and moving memoir about the simultaneous arrival of new motherhood and heartbreaking loss. In Spring 2017, Jess gave birth to her first daughter, Ottie. Ten weeks later her mother, the much-loved Labour politician Dame Tessa Jowell MP, was diagnosed with advanced brain cancer. This is the story of the year that Jess spent with her baby daughter in one arm, and her dying mother in the other – becoming a mother whilst losing her own.
Jess Mills said: ‘I wrote We Are Each Other over 5 years. It’s about loss, but at its core it is a work of love, so it is such a huge privilege for it to be published as one of the debut books on LEAP, where Carole and her team apply such love and care to the books they take into the world.’
Carole Tonkinson, Publisher, said: ‘We Are Each Other is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. We pre-empted it overnight because everyone on our team was touched to the core. Jess’s writing and sensibility is one of a kind and she captures what it is like to lose those we love and discover that the love carries on. It’s an absolute privilege to bring this book to readers everywhere and working with Jess and her team has been wonderful.’
Lucy Morris and Rachel Goldblatt said: ‘We are so thrilled to have matched We Are Each Other with the incredible team at LEAP. Their deep understanding of what Jess is seeking to achieve with the book will amplify this most essential of human experiences and resonate with so many people.’
We Are Each Other will be published by LEAP in hardback, eBook and audio in March 2026.
