The Last Beginning
Page 25
LAUREN JAMES was born in 1992. She started writing during secondary school English classes, because she couldn’t stop thinking about a couple who kept falling in love throughout history. She sold the rights to the novel when she was 21, while she was still at university.
The Next Together series has been translated into five languages worldwide, and was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award, a prize given to recognize an outstanding novel by a first-time writer.
Lauren graduated in 2014 from the University of Nottingham, where she studied Chemistry and Physics. She is a passionate advocate of STEM further education, and all of her books feature scientists in prominent roles.
Lauren lives in the West Midlands and is an Arts Council grant recipient. You can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James, on Tumblr at @laurenjames or on her website: laurenejames.co.uk.
Praise for The Next Together:
“A heartbreaking and unpredictable love story spanning time and space.”
Melinda Salisbury, author of The Sin Eater’s Daughter
“Funny, romantic and compulsively readable.”
The Bookseller
“An explosion of storytelling. It’s everything that I love about books. Read it.”
Alice Oseman, author of Solitaire
“Perfect for holidays.”
Marie Claire
“Packed with humour, adventure, conspiracy and epic romance, The Next Together is a sensational debut that is sure to put you on the edge of your seat and keep you there.”
Catherine Doyle, author of Vendetta
“At once a sweeping love story and a high-concept page-turner, this ambitious, accomplished debut resonates long after the story has ended.”
Joanne Owen, Lovereading.co.uk
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. All statements, activities, stunts, descriptions, information and material of any other kind contained herein are included for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied on for accuracy or replicated as they may result in injury.
First published 2016 by Walker Books Ltd
87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ
Text © 2016 Lauren James
Cover images: Bare tree © Markus Sturfelt / EyeEm / Getty Images;
Riverside against sky © Liam Mcalorum / EyeEm / Getty Images;
Silhouette of couple © Adi Bilvod / EyeEm / Getty Images
History Control textbook illustration by Alice Oseman © 2016. All rights reserved.
The right of Lauren James to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4063-6964-9 (ePub)
www.walker.co.uk