About a girl with an incredible hearing aid

Comedian Samantha Baines is to write her first children’s book – an adventure about a girl who wears a hearing aid.

The titular heroine of Harriet! discovers that her family secretly work for an inter-galactic agency, and that her hearing aid helps her understand aliens from across the universe.

Baines wears such a device herself, and is an ambassador for Action on Hearing Loss and the British Tinnitus Association.

And the book, for readers aged 8+, will be released on October 3 by Knights Of, a publisher set up two years ago with the aim of promoting more inclusive titles.

Baines, who is currently starring in the London production of Magic Mike Live, said: ‘When I was younger I always wanted to be an inter-galactic adventurer, alas they didn't teach space flight at my school –  but now we can all live our space hero dreams through Harriet! 

‘I realised when I got my hearing aid that I had personally never read a book, or seen a film, where the lead character has hearing loss. I am delighted to be working with Knights Of, who champion diversity and have a passion for helping to tell interesting stories from different perspectives.’

Publisher David Stevens added: ‘Funny, direct and honest, with her unstoppable energy there is no one better to bring hearing aid representation to kids books than Sam Baines. We are thrilled to be working with and can’t wait for the world to join us on the maddest adventure.’

Knights Of bought world rights to the book from Baines’s literary agent, Hannah Sheppard at DHH Literary. 

Baines previously self-published a book of humorous poems, Poentry, in 2017.

Published: 27 Mar 2019