DEAL OF THE WEEK
O’Rourke to ‘Try’ at Flatiron
Zachary Wagman at Flatiron Books took North American rights to Beto O’Rourke’s We’ve Got to Try, which is slated for release in August. The book examines the life of Lawrence Aaron Nixon, a Texan whose father was enslaved and who went on to become a civil rights leader who, the publisher said, helped achieve “one of the most significant civil and voting rights victories in American history: the defeat of the all-white primary.” O’Rourke recently won the Democratic nomination to run for governor of Texas. David Larabell and Mollie Glick at Creative Artists Agency represented him in the agreement.
Foroux’s ‘Path’ Leads to Portfolio
For Portfolio, Merry Sun nabbed world rights to Darius Foroux’s The Stoic Path to Wealth at auction. The publisher said the book will “help nervous investors overcome their anxiety and show them how to draw upon the principles of Stoicism in order to build wealth.” Foroux is a finance guru who has written for, or been featured in, such outlets as Fast Company and Time, and who writes the popular Stoic Newsletter. Julie Stevenson at Massie & McQuilkin brokered the agreement.
Pantheon Inks Garner to Seven
In a North American rights deal, Pantheon Books’ Lisa Lucas bought seven books by Australian author Helen Garner at auction. Garner, winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize, was represented by David Forrer at InkWell Management, on behalf of Michael Heyward at Text Publishing. Lucas called Garner’s work “inventive, humane, thoughtful, spicy, intimate, unexpected, precise, and universal.” The first two books under the deal, set for fall 2022, are The Children’s Bach and This House of Grief.
Grove Dances with Cohen’s ‘Ballet’
Grove Press has acquired a collection of early fictional works by singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen, who died in 2016. A Ballet of Lepers: A Novel and Stories was acquired in a U.S. rights agreement by Peter Blackstock from the Wylie Agency, which handles literary affairs for the Cohen estate. The book is set for October and will, Grove said, be compiled from works Cohen was writing between 1956 and 1961 and “offer a startling insight into Cohen’s imagination and creative process.
Dorman Preempts Daverley’s Debut
Claire Daverley’s debut novel was preempted, in a two-book deal, by Pamela Dorman and Jeramie Orton at Pamela Dorman Books. The publisher described it as an overnight acquisition, and said Talking at Night will appeal to fans of Jojo Moyes and Sally Rooney. It is a “classic bad boy meets good girl” tale, involving “a pair whose lives are joined by a tragedy, who are destined to be one another’s great love story, and whose history is what will connect them forever.” Ariella Feiner at United Agents handled the North American rights agreement, and the novel is set to publish in summer 2023.
McKenzie, Silverman Sell Crypto Book
Actor Ben McKenzie (from Gotham and The OC) and New Republic journalist Jacob Silverman sold Easy Money to Jamison Stoltz at Abrams Press. The book, Abrams said, is an account of the authors’ “ongoing investigation into the world of cryptocurrency and the people impacted by its spectacular rise and potential impending fall.” McKenzie said, “Easy Money is about two things—money and lying—and while I know a little about the former from my econ degree, it’s the latter that fascinates me. Maybe that’s why I do it for a living.” McKenzie was represented by Noah Ballard at Verve in the world rights deal, while Silverman was represented by Erik Hane at Headwater Literary. The book is slated for summer 2023.
