German Book on Restaurants Gains Momentum
Suhrkamp Verlag Berlin has been fielding foreign interest for Christoph Ribbat's In the Restaurant: A History from the Belly of Modernity. Ribbat is a professor of American Studies at the University of Paderborn, and the German publisher described the book as "a cultural history of restaurants." It pubs in Germany in March. So far rights have sold so to Planeta/Gastro (Spain and Catalonia), Marsilio (Italy) and Meridiaan (the Netherlands). Suhrkamp controls all rights.
French Debut Generates Buzz
Olivier Bourdeaut's first novel, Waiting for Bojangles, has sold to eight houses in eight territories, including the U.S. The book was published this month by the small French house Editions Finitude and is described by the publisher as being told from the perspective of a child whose parents have "deliberately chosen to turn their backs on adult responsibilities." Editions Finitude controls all rights and deals have been made with Ira Silverberg, who acquired world English rights for Simon & Schuster in the States, as well as with publishers in Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Sweden, Bulgaria, and Denmark. Silverberg said "it is both charming and dark" and that the youthful protagonist has a voice "filled with a sense of wonder and hope [that] takes us through a difficult family tale."
Finnish Prize Winner Picks Up New Sales
Oneiron, the winner of last year's Finlandia Prize last year which we reported on in December, has picked up some major foreign sales; it has gone to Gallimard in France and to Oneworld (which nabbed world English rights). The total number of publishers that have acquired the novel is now at nine. The book, which is about seven women who meet seconds after their deaths, is represented by the Elina Ahlback Literary Agency.
'Friends' Draws Int'l Pubs
A French book called Three Friends in Search of Wisdom has now racked up foreign sales in four countries, selling to, among other houses, Urano (Spain) and and Ulysses (Korea). The "three friends" of the title are Christophe André, Alexandre Jollien, and Matthieu Ricard, and each is an established author in his respective field. (André is a psychiatrist, Jollien a philosopher, and Ricard a Buddhist Monk.) The book was published earlier this month in France in a co-edition by Allary Editions and L’lconoclaste, and 2 Seas Agency represents most translation rights. According to 2 Seas, the book explores "what creates joy and hardship in life."
