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Picador renews focus on translated fiction
Picador is "beginning to renew" its translated fiction strand after winning a series of auctions for international books.
The publisher has acquired titles from Italy, France, Japan, Sweden and Austria over the past few months.
Its latest acquisition is by editorial director Kate Harvey, who acquired world English language rights at auction for A Whole Life (Ein Ganzes Leben) by Austrian author Robert Seethaler, from Markus Hoffman at Regal Literary. A Whole Life is set in the Austrian Alps and is “the story of one man’s life and death told with extraordinary humanity and grace”.
Publisher Paul Baggaley [pictured] said: “Picador has always been a publisher of international writers and we are again actively seeking the best and most exciting new writing in translation. With these acquisitions, we are beginning to renew this crucial strand of Picador’s publishing.
“We have been hugely encouraged by the recent success, both critical and commercial, of fiction in translation (including, of course, our own success with the writing of Roberto Bolaño) and I am delighted that we are now devoting resources to bringing more international writers to the Picador list.”
Other recent acquisitions include assistant editor Sophie Jonathan’s purchase in March of world English language rights for All This Has Nothing To Do With Me (Tout Cela N’a Rien À Voir Avec Moi) by French author Monica Sabolo from Eva Bredin at JC Lattès.
During the London Book Fair senior editor Kris Doyle acquired UK and Commonwealth rights for The Guest Cat by Japanese author Takashi Hiraide from Tim Bates at Pollinger.
Baggaley acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in debut novel One Hundred Days of Happiness (Cento giorni di felicità) by Italian film director Fausto Brizzi from the Kylee Doust Agency and world English rights in Lena Andersson’s Swedish novel Arbitrary Conduct (Egenmäktigt förfarande) from Markus Hoffmann at Regal Literary.
Harvey also won world English language rights in Marco Missiroli’s The Sense of an Elephant (Il Senso dell’Elefante) from Nurnberg Ltd.
Picador will publish these novels throughout 2015 and early 2016.
