Faber partners with Galley Beggar to publish prize-winning McBride

Faber will publish the mass market paperback and e-book versions of Eimear McBride's Goldsmiths Prize-winning A Girl is a Half-formed Thing in partnership with Galley Beggar Press, publisher of the original editions.

The novel was also shortlisted for the inaugural Folio Prize and longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.

Hannah Griffiths, associate publisher of fiction at Faber, negotiated the deal with Jack Ramm at Eve White, on behalf of Galley Beggar Press.

Griffiths said: "This extraordinary debut novel has already attracted considerable attention and found many fans thanks to the great work of Galley Beggar Press. We are coming on board as partners to help take the book to even more readers, to build on this extraordinary momentum and support its continuing life in both paperback and e-book. Faber feels like a natural home for a novel with such a clear Modernist influence and given Faber's own history  with Irish writing."

Galley Beggar Press called the agreement "a terrific partnership". A spokesperson said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Galley Beggar Press to ensure that the British public will be reading, talking about and marvelling A Girl is a Half-formed Thing for years to come."

Liverpool-born McBride lived in Ireland from the age of three, before moving to London aged 17. A Girl is a Half-formed Thing is her first novel, and follows the story of a young woman and her relationship with her brother, and the long shadow cast by his childhood brain tumour.

Faber has previously partnered with And Other Stories to release the mass-market edition of Deborah Levy's Man Booker Prize-longlisted Swimming Home.

The paperback will be released in July 2014.