Europa Editions has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to The Life of the Elves, the new novel by Muriel Barbery, author of the international bestseller, The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
The Life of the Elves was released in France a week and a half ago, where it debuted at number 10 on the bestseller list. It will be published here in March 2016; Alison Anderson will translate.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Michael Reynolds, Europa's editor-in-chief. “We’ve known [Barbery] had something she was working on for a long time. She’s been keen to work with the publishers that published The Elegance of the Hedgehog.”
And with good reason. Her earlier novel sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, and over one million in the U.S., since its publication in 2008. According to Reynolds, with the exception of Stieg Larsson's novels, Hedgehog is the bestselling translated work in English in recent years.
Reynolds said the new book grapples with themes involving nature and childhood. In a review in La Vie (France), Marie Chaudey wrote: “Barbery’s poetic language and her endearing characters will delight readers. ...As in the Hedgehog, Barbery’s heroines are girl prodigies, preteens, each possessing exceptional talents.”
Europa was already experiencing a strong start to 2015 before signing Barbery. Sales of its bestselling books by Elena Ferrante have contributed, but so has backlist and non-Ferrante frontlist. “It's a little early to say, but we'll probably see double-digit growth over last year's first quarter,” Reynolds said.
