May 2021 | New Deals and Notable Publicity
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#1 international bestselling author of Recipe For A Perfect Wife, which has sold in 16 territories to date and been optioned for film, Karma Brown’s new novel WHAT WILD WOMEN DO, a dual timeline novel set in 1975 and 2019 about two women whose lives unexpectedly intertwine: Eddie, a 1970s feminist who must face the cost of ambition and autonomy as she atones for her past; and screenwriter Rowan, who makes a gruesome discovery related to Eddie’s history while cabin-sitting in the Adirondacks with her fiance, again to Maya Ziv at Dutton (US), Canadian rights again to Lara Hinchberger at Penguin Canada. Publication is planned for Winter 2023 and the manuscript will be available in Fall 2021. Karma Brown is represented by Carolyn Forde. |
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North American rights to SATCHED by Megan Gail Coles to House of Anansi Press. SATCHED, Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist Megan Gail Coles’s debut poetry collection, is a vivid and unflinching portrait of intergenerational trauma, ecological grief, and late-stage capitalism. Coming September 7, 2021. Deal by Samantha Haywood.
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World rights to THE ANIMALS by award-winning author Cary Fagan, about Dorn, who lives in a quaint tourist village where things take a strange turn when he discovers that his neighbour, Leev, who is participating in a new Wild Home Project, has taken into his house a real, life wolf and soon people of the village are living with all kinds of animals from the nearby forest: rats, minks, otters, and bears, sold to Jay Millar at Book*Hug Press by Samantha Haywood for winter 2022 publication.
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QUIET TIME is award-winning writer Katherine Alexander Harvey’s poignant, smart, and moving literary debut, inspired by the author’s personal experience. QUIET TIME chronicles the rise and fall of a twenty-something writer named Grace. Raised in a beautiful, saltbox house overlooking the ocean by talented and successful artists, twenty-something writer Grace’s life is outwardly idyllic. So why is her mother constantly disappearing, while her father is always locked away in his office? When Grace meets Jack, one of her mother’s new, young friends, she believes he will be the man to save her. But the past is haunting her, and their relationship further fuels her rapid, downward spiral into addiction and mental illness. QUIET TIME is Grace’s coming-of-age story, which will appeal to readers of Jeanette Walls and Heather O’Neill, which details her journey to find her voice after a lifetime of being silenced. It is her story of falling deep into a world of addiction, abuse, and false hope, and the all important far-off glimmer of survival. Nimbus/Vagrant Press will publish in Canada in Spring 2022. Katherine Alexandra Harvey is represented by Carolyn Forde and Chelene Knight.
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World rights to THE BJORKAN SAGAS, a bold and innovative fusion of narrative traditions set in an enchanted world of heroic storytellers, ethereal Medicine Women, shrieking Valkyries, and fire-breathing dragons, by acclaimed author Harold R. Johnson, sold to Douglas Richmond and Bruce Walsh at House of Anansi Press by Samantha Haywood. Publication is set for October 2021.
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Bestselling author of Daughters Who Walk This Path, Yejide Kilanko’s A GOOD NAME, pitched as Behold the Dreamers meets The Girl with the Louding Voice about a young woman determined to make the most of her life in America despite her bitter husband’s control, sold to Eghosa Imasuen at Narrative Landscape Press. IN OUR OWN WAYS about a wealthy Nigerian couple whose marriage falls apart when the truth about their long-awaited child is revealed was also included in the two-book deal for English-language rights in West Africa. The deal was negotiated by Chelene Knight and Léonicka Valcius.
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Award-winning writer and screenwriter Naben Ruthnum's literary fiction debut A HERO OF OUR TIME in the tradition of That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam and Ben Lerner's The Topeka School, a discomfiting examination of racial politics and identity about Osman Quereshi, the son of a professor, who has been exiled from his own family after taking a job at AAP, a higher-education automating firm and is confronted by his ethical failings when Olivia Robinson, an efficient and manipulative new hire from an evangelical background, begins to take control of the company, Canadian English rights sold to Haley Cullingham at McClelland & Stewart by Samantha Haywood (2022).
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SETTING FIRE TO WATER, the debut literary short story collection from Hong-Kong born Chinese, British and Canadian poet, author, librettist and playwright Phoebe Tsang portrays ordinary people struggling to transcend existential challenges in search of meaning and fulfilment. Childhood, adolescence, bereavement, displacement, poverty, success, and the aging process are navigated with humour, empathy, and moments of effortless magic realism.
A young vixen attempts to outwit her hunger by silencing its siren song. A barista eavesdrops on her customers’ illicit affairs. A retired pianist’s fascination with an enigmatic busker leads her to endanger her marriage and personal safety. The title story charts an accountant’s transformation to spiritual seeker, led by a death wish he himself is unaware of.
Distilled and densely layered, the stories in Setting Fire to Water map complex emotional territories against richly evoked settings – from Toronto, Montréal and Winnipeg to India and Tibet. Canadian rights (ex-audio) are held by Thistledown Press and they will publish in Spring 2022. Phoebe is represented by Carolyn Forde.
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Bestselling author of The Best Kind of People, Zoe Whittall’s new novel THE SPECTACULAR in which a rebellious young musician reconnects with the matriarchs in her family as three generations of women strive for real freedom in this brilliant novel of family, sexuality, and feminism to Francine Toon at Hodder (UK Commonwealth ex: Canada) by Samantha Haywood.
US rights previously to Andra Miller of Ballantine and Canadian rights to Iris Tupholme.
World rights ex: English language: Samantha Haywood. TV Film: Dana Spector at CAA.
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North American English and French Rights to BLACK AND WHITE: An Intimate, Multicultural Take on “White Advantage” and the Paths to Change, the debut book by community leader and citizen activist Stephen Dorsey, have been acquired by Nimbus Publishing Managing Editor Whitney Moran. Focusing on the issue of anti-Black, systemic racism in Canada, Dorsey delves deep into Canada’s history of racial discrimination and debunks our nation’s mythological narrative, providing necessary context on white privilege, which he calls “white advantage,” and the differences between not being racist and being anti-racist. Straddling Black and white, English and French Canada, Black and White offers an unfiltered look into some of the dark chapters of Dorsey’s life, including his formative years growing up Black in a white family headed by a racist stepfather, and details his personal awakening inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, providing personal insight on the broader issues being examined. The English edition will release in January 2022, and the French edition in February 2022. The deal was arranged by Samantha Haywood.
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2018 Vancouver Book Award winning author Chelene Knight’s untitled commissioned book explores self-love in Black communities, and is a celebration of the diverse and intersectional experiences of being Black, of community building, and deeply rooted commitments to personal growth. Even before the current global conversations around racism began, Black folks from various intersections and communities have embodied and redefined self-love for themselves. This book unpacks the many ways self-love is an act of reclaiming space that whiteness has historically held on to. It explores what self-love looks like for these communities alongside acknowledging the multitude of struggles they are faced with. A combination of Chelene’s experiences and family history and the experiences of a variety of other Black leaders. World all language rights to Aeman Ansari at HarperCollins Canada by Samantha Haywood.
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BLEED: How Medicine Keeps Women Sick by Tracey Lindeman is a no-holds-barred indictment of the medical system that fails those with diseases of the reproductive system. Tracey combines her personal journey with endometriosis, and her skills as an investigative reporter to present the misogyny and other discrimination that these patients face in their desperate search for relief. North American rights sold to Jennifer Knoch at ECW Press for publication in 2023. Contact Marilyn Biderman.
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Michelle MacAleese at House of Anansi acquired World rights to A WOMAN OF GOLD: A story of survival and passion for justice, the debut memoir from award winning French/Cree/Iroquois journalist Brandi Morin, chronicling her journey from a foster kid and runaway, who fell victim to predatory men and an oppressive system, to an internationally acclaimed journalist seeking justice for those who did not survive the rampant violence that targets Indigenous people in Canada. Calling to mind From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle and In My Own Moccasins by Helen Knott, this is Brandi’s story of overcoming enormous adversity to finding purpose and discovering the power of her voice through journalism. Brandi Morin is represented by Samantha Haywood and Laura Cameron.
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WHO NEEDS GAY BARS? by Oberlin College Professor of Sociology Greggor Mattson, a personal and sociological examination of the past, present and future of gay bars across America and the diverse people they serve of all sexualities, genders, and ethnicities, to Marcela Cristina Maxfield at Stanford University Press (Redwood Press imprint), by Brenna English-Loeb (World English).
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SAME GROUND by Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist Russell Wangersky, the award-winning author of Whirl Away and Burning Down the House, has been acquired by Susan Renouf, Executive Editor at Large for ECW Press (English, North America). Same Ground is a personal tale of two parallel journeys separated by more than two hundred years—by car, in Wangersky’s case, and on mule and foot in the case of his great-great-grandfather, William Castle Dodge. Inspired by Dodge’s Gold Rush travel diary from 1849, this is an intimate exploration of the nature of family, about what time washes away and what persists—and what we might find, unexpectedly, if we go looking. Publication in 2022. Rights available ex: North American English. Represented by Shaun Bradley.
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Korean rights to Karma Brown’s RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE sold to Media Changbi by Insoo Lee from Danny Hong Agency on behalf of Carolyn Forde.
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UK & Commonwealth rights to Clifford Jackman’s THE BRAVER THING sold to Craig Lye at Canelo by Carolyn Forde.
Polish rights to Clifford Jackman’s THE BRAVER THING sold to Nautica by Martyna Kowalewska at Book/lab Literary Agency on behalf of Carolyn Forde.
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French-language rights in North America to Katherena Vermette's THE STRANGERS and THE CIRCLE sold to Québec Amérique by Celia Long at the Anna Jarota Agency on behalf of Marilyn Biderman.
Polish rights to Katherena Vermette’s THE STRANGERS sold to Wielka Litera by Piotr Wawrzeńczyk at BookLab Agency on behalf of Marilyn Biderman.
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Polish rights to Sarah Berman’s DON’T CALL IT A CULT sold to Wydawnictwo Kobiece by Martyna Kowalewska at Book/lab Literary Agency on behalf of Carolyn Forde.
Russian rights to WAG: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy by Dr. Zazie Todd sold to Mann Ivanov Ferber by the Van Lear Agency on behalf of Fiona Kenshole.
Icelandic rights to the first lady of Iceland Eliza Reid’s SECRETS OF THE SPRAKKAR, to Stella Soffia Johannesdottir at Forlagid, at auction, by Diana Gvozden at Marianne Schonbach Literary Agency, on behalf of Samantha Haywood with Laura Cameron.
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Page Two Deals
contact: Evan Brown evan@transatlanticagency.com
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Ukrainian rights to Maria Ross’s THE EMPATHY EDGE sold to Anna Oksentiuk at Yakaboo Publishing.
Estonian rights to Michael Bungay Stanier’s THE COACHING HABIT sold to Pille-Riin Vallner at AS Äripäev.
Bulgarian rights to Allan Dib’s THE 1-PAGE MARKETING PLAN sold to Anhira Eood in association with Mira Droumeva at ANA Sofia.
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Japanese rights to Melanie Deziel’s THE CONTENT FUEL FRAMEWORK sold to Direct Publishing in association with Megumi Sakai at Japan UNI Agency.
Chinese (Simplified) rights to LEAD TOGETHER by Brent Lowe, Susan Basterfield and Travis Marsh sold to Beijing Jie Teng Culture Media in association with Jennifer Lee at the Grayhawk Agency.
Korean rights to Brant Menswar’s BLACK SHEEP sold to Feelmbook Agency in association with Insoo Lee at Danny Hong Agency.
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Russian rights to Joey Remenyi’s ROCK STEADY sold to Eksmo in association with Katya Ilina at The Van Lear Agency.
Italian rights to Scott Berkun’s HOW DESIGN MAKES THE WORLD sold to Tecniche Nuove in association with Chiara Fumagalli at Berla & Griffini Rights Agency.
Turkish rights to Michael Bungay Stanier’s THE ADVICE TRAP sold to Sola Yayinlari in association with Merve Diler at Kalem Agency, Romanian rights sold to Publica in association with Andreea Focsaneanu at Simona Kessler Agency.
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Chinese (Simplified) rights to Karen Lasby & Tammy Sherrow’s PREEMIE CARE sold to Beijing Science & Technology in association with Yichan Peng at The Grayhawk Agency.
Romanian rights to Dr. Lea Lis’s NO SHAME sold to Curtea Veche in association with Andreea Focsaneanu at Simona Kessler Agency.
Japanese rights to Riaz Meghji’s EVERY CONVERSATION COUNTS sold to Achievement Publishing Co. in association with Megumi Sakai at Japan UNI Agency.
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Drawn & Quarterly Deals
contact: samantha@transatlanticagency.com and evan@transatlanticagency.com
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Slovak rights to Nick Drnaso’s SABRINA sold to Absynt in association with Kristin Olson at Kristin Olson Literary Agency.
Polish rights to Nick Drnaso’s BEVERLY sold to Kultura Gniewu in association with Piotr Wawrzeńczyk at Book/lab Literary Agency.
UK & Commonwealth ex Canada English rights to Nick Drnaso’s ACTING CLASS sold to Rowan Cope and Anne Meadows at Granta; German rights sold to Anvar Čukoski at Aufbau; French rights sold to Ivan Apostolo at Presque Lune; Italian rights sold to Oscar Glioti at Coconino; Spanish rights sold to Catalina Mejia at Salamandra Graphic; Polish rights sold to Kultura Gniewu in association with Piotr Wawrzeńczyk at Book/lab Literary Agency; Chinese (Simplified) rights sold to Ginkgo in association with Jennifer Lee at The Grayhawk Agency; Japanese rights sold to Hayakawa in association with Megumi Sakai at Japan UNI Agency; Turkish rights sold to Ithaki by Kardelen Genç at Kalem Agency.
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Italian rights to Seth’s GEORGE SPROTT sold to Oscar Glioti at Coconino.
Spanish rights to Sylvie Rancourt’s MELODY sold to Autsaider Cómics.
French rights to Michael DeForge’s FAMILIAR FACE sold to Daniel Pellegrino at Atrabile.
Polish rights to Sophie Yanow’s THE CONTRADICTIONS sold to Centrala in association with Piotr Wawrzeńczyk at Book/lab Literary Agency, Czech rights sold to Centrala in association with Kristin Olson at Kristin Olson Literary Agency.
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Serbian Rights to Adrian Tomine’s THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE CARTOONIST sold to Vuk Makovic at Komiko.
Turkish rights to Adrian Tomine’s KILLING AND DYING sold to Can Publishing in association with Kardelen Genç at Kalem Agency.
Turkish rights to Tom Gauld’s YOU’RE ALL JUST JEALOUS OF MY JETPACK sold to Ithaki in association with Kardelen Genç at Kalem Agency.
Japanese rights to Tom Gauld’s MOONCOP sold to Aki Shobo in association with Megumi Sakai at Japan UNI Agency.
French rights to Tom Gauld’s GOLIATH sold to Olivier Bron at Editions 2024.
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Bestselling author Marissa Stapley’s upcoming novel LUCKY for fans of The Queen’s Gambit and Lupin, to ABC Disney Studios and Carlton Cuse (Lost, Jack Ryan) with Stapley attached to write the pilot; North American rights previously sold to Nita Pronovost of Simon & Schuster (publishing April 2021 in Canada and December 21 in the US) by Dana Spector of CAA on behalf of Samantha Haywood.
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French audio rights to RECIPE FOR A PERFECT WIFE by Karma Brown sold to Groupe Homme by Anna Jarota Agency on behalf of Carolyn Forde.
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NATIONAL AWARDS, CITATIONS, AND NOTABLE PUBLCITY |
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WAG: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy by Dr, Zazie Todd has won the prestigious Dog Writer's Association of America awards for the category Books - Behavior, Health or General Care. Congratulations to Zazie and her publisher Greystone Books. More praise and reviews for this exceptional book are here. Rights are represented by Fiona Kenshole.
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Congratulations to Tyler Enfield for winning the Western Writers of America Award 2021 for Best Traditional Novel for the brilliant LIKE RUM-DRUNK ANGELS, an offbeat, slightly magical, entirely original retelling of Aladdin as an American western. It has also been named as a finalist for the prestigious Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize. Represented by Shaun Bradley.
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Canisia Lubrin has won the 2021 Windham Campbell Prize for Poetry! Represented by Samantha Haywood.
Canisia Lubrin has also won the 2021 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for her poetry collection THE DYZGRAPHXST
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Leanne Simpson, Canisia Lubrin, Amanda Leduc, Eric Walters and Polly Horvath, who have all been named 2020 Governor General’s Award Finalists!
National Bestseller and A Globe And Mail Top 100 Book of the Year NOOPIMING by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (House of Anansi Press) is a finalist in the Fiction category. Leanne is represented by Marilyn Biderman.
The multi-award winning collection THE DYZGRAPHXST by Canisia Lubrin (McClelland & Stewart) is a finalist in the Poetry category. Her fiction debut, CODE NOIR, is forthcoming from Knopf Canada. Canisia is represented by Samantha Haywood.
DISFIGURED: On Fairytales, Disability and Making Space by Amanda Leduc (Coach House Books) is a finalist in the Nonfiction category. She is the author of the novels THE MIRACLES OF ORDINARY MEN and the recently published THE CENTAUR'S WIFE. Amanda is represented by Samantha Haywood.
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FROM THE ASHES by Jesse Thistle has continued for 83 weeks since publication to hit the Globe & Mail and Toronto Star bestsellers list! Represented by Samantha Haywood.
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Perdita Felicien’s memoir MY MOTHER’S DAUGHTER debuted at #4 on the Toronto Star’s Canadian Non-Fiction list in it’s first week of publication! Represented by Samantha Haywood.
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Transatlantic Agency | 416 488 9214 |
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