Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has acquired a new YA graphic novel, A True Gentleman, by rising star creator Hari Conner, award-winning creator of the highly acclaimed I Shall Never Fall in Love.

Ali Dougal, Publishing Director, and Olive Childs, Editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Louise Lamont at LBA on behalf of Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management. Simon & Schuster will publish in full-colour paperback in Spring 2028 simultaneously with Penguin Workshop, who acquired North American rights at auction.

Set in regency England, A True Gentleman follows Freddie, a young trans man determined to make his own way in the world, and win the heart of his best friend, Cat. When Freddie returns home newly-disabled after years at sea to find that Cat is rumoured to be courting a mysterious aristocrat, the three of them must untangle the complicated web between them to ensure all their secrets stay hidden, and that they each get their happy ending.

Olive Childs said:

‘ It’s an honour to continue working with Hari. A True Gentleman is an exquisite love story, a delightful accidental love triangle with three characters it’s impossible not to root for. Hari’s art is exemplary, and fans of I Shall Never Fall in Love will once again be swept up into their gorgeous regency world. But it’s Hari’s ability to explore complicated issues of disability, trans identity and empire that I know will resonant even more with readers, and have them coming back for more. We’re ecstatic to be continuing publishing Hari on our growing graphic novel list.’

Hari Conner said:

‘I'm so excited to be taking the romance of regency beyond the ballroom to windswept marshes and stormy seas in this new book, inspired by Jane Austen and the real history behind stories of 'running away to sea to live as a boy'. I'm thrilled to be working with S&S again in the UK, and to get to work on such a personal book - my first where a main character has the same kind of disability as me.'