Europa gets Midas touch for Perrin's Italian lockdown hit

Europa Editions UK is working with Midas for the first time to launch the paperback of Italian lockdown sensation Fresh Water for Flowers by French writer Valérie Perrin in June.

Dubbed the “lockdown novel” of Italy and also the overall number one bestselling title in the territory for 2020, the book is a “compelling and moving” story about the caretaker of a cemetery and the relationships she builds with visitors and colleagues promises to capture the attention of readers.

The book, Perrin’s English language debut, has now sold more than one million copies worldwide since publication in early 2020, has been translated into over 30 languages, the publisher says. It will be released by Europa in paperback with a fresh cover on 3rd June this year.

Caro Parodi, sales and marketing manager at Europa, commented: “We’re incredibly excited to be working with Gabriella Drinkald at Midas to re-launch this unforgettable story. Valérie’s writing is an undeniable and durable force, and we’re incredibly proud to publish her English language debut.”

Backed by its large international sales and rave reader reviews, the publisher plans an all-encompassing publicity and marketing campaign that includes digital advertising and exciting partnerships. The publisher said it wanted to make the book a success that mirrors Elena Ferrante’s by not simply targeting readers of literary or translated fiction alone.

Fiona Marsh, associate director at Midas, commented: “I absolutely loved Valerie’s book. The last book I read which moved me as much was Where the Crawdads Sing. I had to get up at 6 a.m. this morning to finish it because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened at the end.”