Transworld wins auction for Disclaimer

Transworld is to publish a debut psychological thriller by Faber Academy alumnus Renee Knight, after winning an auction against "substantial" bids from six other major UK publishers.

Publishing director Sarah Adams bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Disclaimer and one other novel for "a mid six-figure sum" from Felicity Blunt at Curtis Brown.

Transworld’s description of Disclaimer says: “Imagine reading a novel in the sanctuary of your own home, only to realise in one awful moment that it is a novel about you... And about something terrible you did years ago that you've kept a secret from your family all this time.”

Adams said Disclaimer “quickly went viral at Transworld”.

“This is sublime plotting in a cancel-all-plans, one-sit read,” she said. “ When I arrived at the end I desperately needed to talk about it, and this is the power of this twist-tastic, 'read it and share it' debut novel.”

Knight worked for the BBC directing arts documentaries before turning to writing. She has had TV and film scripts commissioned by the BBC, Channel Four and Capital Films. In April 2013 she graduated from the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course, which is where she began Disclaimer.   

She says: “I never dared imagine that my dark little book would receive the reception it has here, let alone abroad: the energy and skill of Curtis Brown in getting it out there has been quite remarkable. And now to know that Disclaimer will be published by the brilliant team at Transworld is incredibly exciting - I could not be more thrilled or feel in safer hands.”

Rights for Disclaimer have also sold to Canada, the US, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Holland and Italy in “a flurry of big overnight pre-empts and auctions”.There are ongoing auctions in France and Greece, and there is also “significant” film interest.

Disclaimer will be published by Doubleday in spring 2015, with a paperback edition to follow a year later.