Haig rights sell into 21 countries

Matt Haig’s new novel How to Stop Time (Canongate) has so far been licensed for release in 21 countries.

With two months to go before UK publication, Canongate confirmed it has licensed How to Stop Time to Brazil (Ediouro), Canada (HarperCollins Canada), China (Beijing Xiron), Finland (Aula & Co), France (Helium), Germany (dtv), Greece (Patakis), Indonesia (Gramedia Pustaka Utama), Israel (Kineret), Italy (Edizione EO), Netherlands (Lebowski), Poland (Zysk), Portugal (20/20), Russia (Sindbad), South Korea (Mirae-N), Spain (Planeta), Spain /Catalan (Empuries), Taiwan (Eurasian), Thailand (Class Act), Ukraine (Family Leisure Club), US (Viking Penguin).

Andrea Joyce, Canongate rights director, said: "Matt Haig is a wonderful writer and it’s a pleasure and an honour to work with him. We are all absolutely passionate about How to Stop Time and it’s incredibly exciting that so many international publishers share our enthusiasm. With its sense of empathy, humour and humanity How to Stop Time is a book which is crossing continents and will touch readers all over the world."

The title is teh first adult novel in four years by Haig, author of Reasons to Stay Alive (Canongate). It tells the story of Tom Hazard, a man who may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but, owing to an extremely rare condition, he has been alive for centuries. "How to Stop Time is a wild and bittersweet story about losing and finding yourself, about the certainty of change and about the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live", the publisher said.

It will be published by Canongate in UK hardback on 6th July 2017.

The film rights for the book have been pre-empted by SunnyMarch and Studiocanal, with Benedict Cumberbatch attached to play the lead role. Cumberbatch will also executive produce the film through his production company SunnyMarch alongside Canongate c.e.o. Jamie Byng.