Grand Central Signs Authorized Hepburn Bio
After an auction, Suzanne O’Neill at Grand Central has landed world English rights to Intimate Audrey, an authorized biography of Audrey Hepburn written by her eldest son Sean Hepburn and veteran biographer Wendy Holden. Alan Nevins at Renaissance Literary & Talent negotiated the deal. Nevins said the book is a revealing portrait of “the real Audrey Hepburn” that will take readers “behind the scenes of the iconic actor and humanitarian’s life and give readers a detailed portrait of how she lived outside of the public eye, as told by those who knew and loved her.” The book is tentatively scheduled for an October 2025 publication.
Headpress to Publish Metal Memoir Sequel
Melissa Meszaros, founder of the Grrrl Front PDX Music Festival and creator of the comic book publicity firm Don’t Hide PR, has sold world rights to Song over the Bones, a new memoir, to Headpress imprint Oil on Water. The author was not agented. The publisher said Meszaros grapples with issues including “identity, attachment, and self-worth” in a sequel to her 2022 debut memoir, Heavy Metal Headbang. An October 2025 publication is planned.
Osman Re-ups with Pam Dorman Books
Richard Osman has sold North American rights to a sixth book in his bestselling Thursday Murder Club
series as well as a second book in his recently launched We Solve Murders series to Pamela Dorman at Pamela Dorman Books. Jeramie Orton will edit. Jenny Bent at the Bent Agency negotiated the two-book deal on behalf of Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment. The as-yet-untitled books will be published in fall 2026 (Thursday Murder Club) and in fall 2027 (We Solve Murders).
Ten Speed Graphic Takes ‘Chainbreaker’
In an exclusive submission, Kaitlin Ketchum at Ten Speed Graphic has acquired world rights to The Legend of the Chainbreaker, a new graphic novel by cartoonist, professor, and historian Joel Christian Gill, author of the graphic memoir Fights and the Strange Fruit and Talented Tenth graphic novels. Ten Speed said Chainbreaker is “a classic superhero tale inspired by the story of Nat Turner and set in a 1940s alternate America where, following the Emancipation War, Black people control the South but capitalism continues to keep the working classes divided.” Gill was represented by Anjali Singh at the Anjali Singh Agency.
Berkley Lands Bookish Love Story
Berkley executive editor Kate Seaver has bought North American rights to Libby Page’s This Book Made Me Think of You and an untitled second book. Amelia Evans at Penguin Random House U.K. brokered the two-book deal after an auction. Berkley said the novel is “a life-affirming love story with a bookish twist that follows a woman who, “months after the death of her husband, receives an unexpected gift from him via her local bookshop: a year of books, one for every month and each accompanied by a letter from her late spouse. With help and encouragement from the handsome bookstore owner, she begins a yearlong reading-inspired journey in which she rediscovers her love of reading and how to live, dream, and love again.” Berkley will publish This Book in early 2026.
One World Signs Book on Black Masculinity
Kierna Mayo at One World has taken world English rights to Show You Better Than I Can Tell You: Black Men Freeing Ourselves from Lambda Award–winning author Darnell L. Moore (No Ashes in the Fire). Katie Kotchman at Don Congdon Associates brokered the deal. Kotchman said the new book is “a paradigm-shifting narrative of how we think and write about Black masculinities” featuring stories of Black men “unfettered by the restrictive cages of masculinity and misogyny.” A publication date has not yet been announced.
