Wiley Signs Two from Gediman
Dan Gediman, who runs the nonprofit This I Believe, has inked a two-book deal with John Wiley. This I Believe—the name is taken from the 1950s radio show hosted by Edward R. Murrow—is known as a "public dialogue about belief" and collects essay from famous (and not famous) Americans; the essays have been aired on public radio since 2005. The deal, brokered by agent Andrew Blauner, continues a standing relationship Gediman has with Wiley, since the house just published This I Believe: On Love and will release This I Believe: On Fatherhood this spring. In the new deal, Wiley took North American rights to two more theme-based collections, This I Believe: Life Lessons and This I Believe: On Motherhood, which are scheduled for fall 2011 and spring 2012, respectively. Hana Lane at Wiley acquired the titles and will edit the book on life lessons. Alan Rinzler will edit the book on motherhood, which will be published through Wiley's Jossey-Bass imprint.
Frederickson Talks 'Love'
Caroline Sutton at Penguin's Hudson Street Press took world English rights to Barbara Frederickson's new book, Love. Richard Pine at Inkwell handled the deal for Frederickson, who's the director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the book Frederickson, whose last work, Positivity, was published by Crown, explores, as the publisher put it, "the science behind our most fundamental emotion to reveal how love influences everything we think and do, and how we can tap it to unlock our potential for a flourishing, healthy lifestyle."
SMP Lands 'Shantaram' Sequel
St. Martin's Press editor-in-chief George Witte took U.S. and Canadian rights to Gregory David Roberts's The Mountain Shadow, which is the author's sequel to his bestselling debut, 2003's Shantaram. Joe Regal at Regal Literary brokered the deal for Roberts. According to Witte, Shantaram has become an international phenomenon—it's been published in 36 territories, sold over two million copies worldwide, and Warner Bros. has been developing a feature film adaptation for years (Johnny Depp was at one time attached to star, though he's rumored to be off the project). In the sequel, Roberts picks up the story of his protagonist, Lin, following him, Witte explained, "through further dramatic adventures in Bombay and beyond." The Mountain Shadow is scheduled for a 2012 publication.
DeCaro Gets in the 'Celebrity' Kitchen
Laura Dail at the Laura Dail Agency sold world rights to a humorous cookbook by comedian Frank DeCaro called The Dead Celebrity Cookbook. Michele Matrisciani at HCI acquired the book, which includes recipes from dead celebrities, and which Dail described as "a mix of nostalgia, food, pop culture, and cooking." The book will contain actual and fake recipes, everything from Liberace's sticky buns to Dinah Shore's brisket. DeCaro is the host of The Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius XM Radio and also spent six years as the movie critic on The Daily Show; The Dead Celebrity Cookbook is scheduled for Halloween 2011.
