The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave by Victoria Scott acquired by Head of Zeus

‘A gripping and uplifting story of community and friendship that explores life in rural England from a unique angle’

We are thrilled to announce that Head of Zeus has acquired The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave, a third novel by Victoria Scott. Aria editorial director Rachel Faulkner-Willcocks bought world English language rights from Northbank Talent Management, and will publish the title in hardback, ebook and audio in August.

The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave follows Connie Darke and Matilda Reynolds, whose worlds collide when their rural council estate comes under threat from developers, in ‘a gripping and uplifting story of community and friendship that explores life in rural England from a unique angle’.

Victoria Scott is a journalist who has worked for outlets including the BBC, Al Jazeera, Time Out and the Telegraph. Her previous novels include Patience and Grace. Her first novel, Patience, was the Booksellers Association Book of the Month and LoveReading Debut of the Month.

Faulkner-Willcocks said: ‘Victoria Scott is such a brilliant writer whose characters and their stories feel incredibly real – and no less gripping for it. In this new novel, she explores the experience of life in a rural council estate and the pressures placed on these communities by cash-strapped councils, ambitious developers and gentrification. We’re very excited to be publishing more books from Victoria.’

Scott said: ‘I’m thrilled that Aria will publish my third novel in August. I grew up in rural Worcestershire, where the novel is set, and writing The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave felt like a love letter to the landscape and people I know so well. The novel is about the joy of friendship, the healing power of nature and why you should fight for what you believe in. In these troubled times, I think that message is so important.’

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