The Parent Agency out this autumn

David Baddiel has signed a deal to publish his first children’s book.

The Parent Agency marks a literary departure for the comic, whose most acclaimed adult book, The Secret Purposes, is about the internment of German Jewish refugees on the Isle of Man.

Out this autumn, his new book is set in an alternative world where parents don't just have kids – instead, kids get to choose their perfect mum and dad.

Baddiel said his now son inspired the idea. ‘I hadn't really thought about writing children's books,’ he said. ‘And then I had children, and started making up stories for them, and talking to them about stories, and realised that writing a children's book was something I might enjoy.

‘The Parent Agency came about after a chat with my nine-year-old son Ezra. When I think about that now - the fact that an idea about a boy who's unhappy with his parents and so goes into a wish-fulfilment universe where he gets to choose better ones came from talking to my own son - perhaps I should be worried.

‘Still, at least he likes the book (and hopefully other children of his age will too), so maybe that means he'll be happy to stay with me and not put in an application to The Parent Agency for a new dad any time soon.’

Publisher Ann-Janine Murtagh, from HarperCollins added: ‘I am delighted to welcome David Baddiel to the children's list and have long admired his adult writing. He brings a fresh and highly original new voice to the children's book world with a genre-busting, high concept and filmic story.

‘The Parent Agency takes readers into a magical world with a universal theme of wish-fulfilment that will strike a chord with children everywhere. It has all the hallmarks of a future classic.’

The book will be illustrated by Roald Dahl prize winning illustrator Jim Field.

It was recently announced that the stage musical version of Baddiel’s film The Infidel will open at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in October, while his stand-up show Fame is now on at the Menier Chocolate Factory, also in London.

Published: 2 May 2014