International Pop Sensation One Direction Sign Multi-Book Deal With HarperCollins

NEW YORK, March 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- HarperCollins Publishers announced today the acquisition of the first US edition of the official book from international pop sensation One Direction.  DARE TO DREAM: LIFE AS ONE DIRECTION will document the group's amazing journey to superstardom and will give fans an inside look into their world—exclusive interviews, fun childhood memories and antics from behind-the-scenes as they've taken the world by storm.  DARE TO DREAM: LIFE AS ONE DIRECTION goes on sale May 22, 2012.

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Coming in September 2013, HarperCollins will publish the second official book from One Direction.  This exclusive as yet untitled book will further chronicle the story of One Direction, straight from the boys themselves.  

One Direction gained notoriety in 2010 after appearing on The X Factor UK. Their global smash debut album, UP ALL NIGHT, entered the charts at #1 in 13 countries and has been certified triple platinum in Ireland, double platinum in the UK & Australia, and platinum in New Zealand. One Direction made history as their debut album UP ALL NIGHT entered the US Billboard 200 chart at #1 with over 176,000 copies sold making them the first British group ever to debut at #1 in the US with their debut album release.

Around the world, One Direction fans have used online platforms such as Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook creating a global phenomenon and inspiring a generation of 1D-mania. One Direction have accumulated over 204 million YouTube views, 12 million followers on Twitter and over 3.6 million followers on Facebook. The music video for their BRIT Award winning debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" has already garnered over 80M views, check it out here: http://vevo.ly/1DWMYB.

One Direction will be hitting the road for their first-ever headlining North American tour in support of their debut album UP ALL NIGHT. The sold-out tour kicks off May 24th in Fairfax, VA and includes stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Dallas and more.

"We're incredibly excited to be releasing Dare to Dream in the US," says One Direction.  "We're really proud of the book – we worked really hard to make it as personal as we could and from what our UK fans tell us, they really love it – we hope our US fans will feel the same!"

"One Direction's rise to the top of the music charts is nothing short of phenomenal and we are incredibly excited to be publishing their story," says Susan Katz, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children's Books. "On the heels of their enormous success in the United States and abroad, HarperCollins is happy to bring the boys' adoring and devoted US fan base DARE TO DREAM: LIFE AS ONE DIRECTION."

"One Direction is a pop culture sensation the likes of which we haven't seen in a long, long time," says David Linker, Executive Editor at HarperCollins. "Sold-out concerts, a debut number one album, songs that are storming the charts ... It's simply amazing and we're thrilled to be a part of it."

World rights for DARE TO DREAM: LIFE AS ONE DIRECTION were sold to Natalie Jerome, Non-Fiction Publishing Director HarperCollins UK and David Linker, Executive Editor HarperCollins US from Modest! Management.

One Direction are Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. All of the group hail from the UK, save for Horan, who is from Ireland. All five of the boys (ages 18-20) auditioned for The X Factor UK in 2010 as solo artists. However, at the suggestion of Simon Cowell they joined forces as a group, quickly becoming one of the competitions most popular acts of all time, finishing in the final three and garnering a gigantic fan-base along the way.

For more info visit

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/onedirection

http://www.onedirectionmusic.com 

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN'S BOOKS

HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of children's books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many timeless treasures—Charlotte's Web, The Chronicles of Narnia, Goodnight Moon, Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Ramona series, Where the Wild Things Are; and popular new classics—The Graveyard Book, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Warriors, and Fancy Nancy. Consistently at the forefront of digital innovation, HarperCollins Children's Books delights young readers through engaging storytelling in all formats, including ebooks and apps. HarperCollins Children's Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English-language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia/New Zealand, and India. You can visit HarperCollins Children's Books at www.harpercollinschildrens.com and HarperCollins Publishers at www.harpercollins.com.

Syco Entertainment is a leading global music, television, film and digital production company. Syco is a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, with offices in London and Los Angeles. Syco's television and music assets include leading global franchises The X Factor and Got Talent, as well as artists such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Il Divo, Cher Lloyd, One Direction & Labrinth. 

About Columbia Records:
One of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, Columbia Records is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

The X Factor was created by SycoTelevision and is co-produced by Syco and FremantleMedia. Artists discovered by The X Factor format have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 110 number ones, 270 top 10, and 501 top 50 releases. The X Factor first launched in 2004 in the UK on ITV1. The X Factor has been the number one show in the UK for eight years, with the 2010 finale achieving a peak of 21.2 million viewers, and a 65% share. The 2011 finale, held at Wembley Arena in front of a live audience of 12,000, was the most watched TV show of the year, with a bigger audience than the Royal Wedding. Local versions of The X Factor air in 32 countries. 

The X Factor launched in the US in fall 2011 on Fox, immediately becoming the number one unscripted show of the season.  The X Factor also gave Fox victory in the November "sweep" among adults aged 18 to 49 for only the second time in the network's history. The US version airs in 162 countries. Around the world, The X Factor has increased the average demographic for many broadcasters by up to 250%. 

SOURCE HarperCollins Publishers