Hot Memoirs

Fun Homeauthor Allison Bechdel has sold a new graphic memoir titled Love Life: A Case Study to Deanne Urmy at Houghton via Sydelle Kramer at the Susan Rabiner Literary Agency, who sold world rights. This book will examine the author's love life against the backdrop of her complex childhood. Fun Home, also published by Houghton, was named Best Book of 2006 by Timemagazine.

Amber Qureshi at the Free Press has acquired North American rights to a memoir by Nani Power from agent Wendy Sherman . Feed the Hungry will be a meditation on the mania of consumption, from the author's unconventional upbringing among hippies in the South to her food writing and other experiences in exotic locations around the world. Power is the author of three novels, including Crawling at Night.

Three-Book Deals

Ellen Hopkins , author of theNew York Timesbestseller Crank,has signed a deal with S&S for three new teen novels; Laura Rennert of Andrea Brown Literary Agency made the six-figure world rights deal with Emma Dryden at Margaret K. McElderry Books. Hopkins's novels, written in verse, deal with teens in crisis; Identical, the first of the three titles in the new deal, will be published in fall 2008, with the other two coming out in 2009 and 2010. S&S will publish Glass, the sequel to Crank, this August.

Sarah Strohmeyer , author of The Cinderella Pact, has signed a new three-book deal with Dutton/NAL, to likely be a continuation of her brand of updated fairy tales for women; Trena Keating , who is looking to build Dutton's women's fiction program,bought North American rights from Heather Schroder at ICM, and Julie Doughty will edit. Dutton will publish Strohmeyer's new novel, The Sleeping Beauty Proposal, this May.

More from Bastianich

Knopf's Judith Jones bought world rights to Lidia's Italy: The Rest of the Story by cookbook author and TV personality Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali via agent Jane Dystel . A follow-up to Lidia's Italy, which Knopf will publish this spring, the book will offer a comprehensive look at some of Lidia's favorite regions from a culinary, artistic and cultural perspective, with recipes and color photographs throughout. Pub is planned for winter 2009, to coincide with a new public television series.

In another Dystel & Goderich deal, Michael Bourret sold world rights at auction to Grand Theft Jesus by Robert S. McElvaine to Lucinda Bartley at Crown. The book will attack the de-Jesus-ification of modern Christianity, arguing that Jesus would never have been pro-war, anti-gay or anti-government programs for the poor. McElvaine is a professor at Millsaps College in Mississippi and the author of nine books.

Vidal in English

Bestselling Spanish author Cesar Vidal has made a deal for his first book to be published in English; Sue Brower at Zondervan bought world English rights to The Fisherman's Testamentvia Diane Stockwell at Globo Libros on behalf of Silvia Bastos in Barcelona. The novel, first published in Spain by Planeta, is a story of Christianity's earliest days, based on the theory held by some biblical historians that the apostle Peter actually wound up in Rome at the end of his life and was crucified there. Zondervan will publish Testamentin March 2008. The original Spanish edition of El testamento del pescadorwill be published for the first time in the U.S. this summer by HC as part of its new joint venture with Planeta.

The Briefing

Pocket's Jennifer Heddle has preempted Web mistress (the-leaky-cauldron.org) Melissa Anelli 's Harry, a History: The Fiction, Fans and Phenomenon of Harry Potterfrom Rebecca Sherman at Writers House, who sold North American rights. The book will chronicle the period between the announcement of the pub date for book seven through its release, while looking at Potter's impact on popular culture. Pub date is fall 2008.