Hammer Films starts new books imprint with Random House

The deal was brokered by Caroline Michel at PFD.

The new Hammer imprint will initially publish about six titles per year in spring 2011. The books will include novelizations of new films and library titles, as well as new novellas by authors who don’t necessarily work in the horror genre.

The imprint kicks off with Jeanette Winterson (Oranges are not the Only Fruit) writing a novella to be published in summer 2011.

Hammer Films, part of Exclusive Media Group, has recently revitalised the old Hammer label and its first new film release, Matt Reeves’ Let Me In, is out in the UK on Nov 5.  

Hammer is also gearing up to shoot The Woman In Black to star Daniel Radcliffe.

Simon Oakes of Hammer said: “The life blood of any film company is ideas and stories and, as we reboot Hammer, we can think of no better partner in the publishing world than Random House. Like Caroline Michel and PFD, the team at Random House immediately shared our vision for ‘Hammer 2.0.’ We can’t wait to work with them on the creation of innovative and terrifying new stories for our imprint.”

Kate Elton, publisher of Arrow, added: “They’re already an iconic brand, and Simon’s reinvention of the Hammer brand is a hugely exciting project. With the current interest in all things supernatural, the time is absolutely right for a Hammer imprint which will publish both into the heart of the commercial horror market, and into the literary and thriller markets that border it. I’m particularly excited that we will be publishing Jeanette Winterson in Hammer next year.  She’s one of the most inventive and exciting British writers working today, and as such is the ideal ambassador for the Hammer imprint.”