Dutton Wins Recall
Dutton executive editor Stephen Morrow won world English rights to Total Recall: The Astonishing, Imminent and Inevitable Ability to Remember Your Entire Life by Gordon Bell and Jim Gemmell; James Levine at Levine Greenberg took the project to auction after receiving three preempt offers. Microsoft colleagues Bell and Gemmell, who began an experiment in “Total Recall” in 1998, and received considerable attention including a New Yorker profile, will report on their findings and explain the project's implications. Publication is fall 2009, with Plume paperback to follow.
Bergreen on Columbus
Viking editorial director of nonfiction Wendy Wolf bought world rights to Laurence Bergreen's Columbus: The Four Voyages via Suzanne Gluck. In the first major biography of the explorer in more then 60 years, Bergreen will use the perspectives of participants and eyewitnesses to provide a provocative new approach to Columbus's four voyages. Bergreen is the author of numerous books; previous subjects have included Marco Polo and Ferdinand Magellan. Viking will publish Columbus in fall 2011.
Throwaway Culture
Houghton senior editor Amanda Cook preempted American Chestnut author Susan Freinkel's Plastics: A Natural History of Our Unnatural World via Michelle Tessler. Freinkel will investigate the ubiquity of plastic and its effects on the broader culture—science, business, our health and environment—through the lens of six iconic items. Houghton holds North American rights and plans to publish in 2010.
McHugh Nabs Hughes
Da Capo Lifelong senior editor Katie McHugh won an auction for I Am Potential, by Patrick Henry Hughes and his father, Patrick John Hughes, via Amy Hughes at McCormick & Williams, who sold world rights. The father and son were featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition this February, and the pair, with co-writer Bryant Stamford, will share Patrick Henry's story of overcoming blindness and disability to achieve musical success, along with his lessons for living with faith. Pub date is fall 2008.
More from Rozan
Two-time Edgar winner S. J. Rozan has signed again with St. Martin's Minotaur for two new books in her series featuring Bill Smith and Lydia Chin; Andrew Martin acquired North American rights from Steve Axelrod, and senior editor Keith Kahla will edit. No pub dates yet, but Minotaur is scheduled to publish the next Smith/Chin novel, The Shanghai Moon (part of an earlier contract), in winter 2009; it will be the first new book in the series since 2002's Edgar winner Winter and Night.
The Briefing
Little, Brown executive editor Michael L. Sand has acquired an untitled cookbook by Michael Psilakis, Esquire's 2007 “Chef of the Year” and owner of the New York restaurants Anthos and Kefi, via Michael Psaltis at the Culinary Cooperative/Regal Literary. Little, Brown has world rights.
