One Author, Two Deals
In early January, Washington and Lee English professor Laura Brodie sold her first novel, The Widow’s Season, to Jackie Cantor at Berkley via Gail Hochman, who sold world English. Brodie was also at work on a memoir, titled One Good Year, about homeschooling her eldest daughter for fifth grade while her other two daughters continued at the public school. Brodie showed Hochman pages of the memoir, but due to a conflict of interest with an existing client, Hochman couldn’t take on the project. Brodie took the memoir to Laurie Abkemeier at DeFiore & Co., who just this week concluded an auction for world English rights, with Gail Winston at Harper the winner. Berkley will publish the novel in 2009, and Harper’s tentative pub date for the memoir is 2010.
Belli’s Winner to HC
Nicaraguan author and poet Gioconda Belli has sold a new work, titled Infinity in the Palm of Her Hands, to Rene Alegria at Harper via Bonnie Nadell. The book, which just won the prestigious Biblioteca Breve award in Spain, is a feminist reimagining of the story of Adam and Eve and man’s first conscious steps in the world. Harper bought North American English and Spanish rights, and tentative pub date is spring 2009. Previous winners of the Biblioteca Breve include Mario Vargas Llosa and Carlos Fuentes.
Peak Experience
Maurice Isserman has sold a new book called Climbing the American Mountain, which Norton’s Erik Johnson acquired from Sandra Dijkstra. The book will cover the history of mountaineering in America and Americans in mountaineering, from Darby Field’s 1642 ascent of Mount Washington in search of diamonds to Ed Viesturs’s 2006 climb of Annapurna in Nepal. Recounting history-making expeditions in and outside the U.S., Isserman will explore how mountains and mountain climbing have helped shape our national experience, self-image and ideals. Norton has North American rights.
Brady to Palgrave
Martha Washington author Patricia Brady will move to Palgrave Macmillan for her next book, which explores the dramatic love story, from adulterous beginning to tragic end, of Andrew Jackson and his wife, Rachel. Alessandra Bastagli bought world English rights from Lisa Adams at the Garamond Agency. Rachel and Andrew Jackson is due to be published in June 2010; Viking published Brady’s biography of the first first lady in 2005.
Knopf Preempts Debut
Jenny Jackson at Knopf preempted world rights to J. Courtney Sullivan’sCommencement; Brettne Bloom at Kneerim & Williams made the sale. Sullivan’s first novel follows four fiercely devoted Smith grads as they seek love and success outside the secluded walls of a women’s college. The author, 26, is a researcher and writer for the New York Times, as well as the author of last year’s Dating Up: Dump the Schlump and Find a Quality Man, published by Grand Central. Knopf expects to publish Commencement in summer 2009.
Stress Free
Mark Tavani at Random acquired world rights to The Inner Game of Stress by Tim Gallwey, Dr. John Horton and Dr. Edd Hanzelik via Jane Dystel. Gallwey, the author of The Inner Game of Tennis and The Inner Game of Golf, has worked with Horton and Hanzelik’s practice for 15 years on the practical application of the Inner Game tools to patient care, and the three have conducted many seminars together. The book will lay out simple inner strategies to help readers avoid stress and transform their health. Tentative pub date is spring 2010.
