Faber signs Peace's 10th novel Patient X

Faber is to publish the tenth novel from David Peace, entitled Patient X, in April 2018.

Inspired and informed by the life and works of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Patient X is described by editorial director, Angus Cargill, as "a stunning novel of tales which showcases everything that is so unique about David Peace and his work".

"Haunting, inspiring and passionate, Patient X explores the role of the artist, in times which darkly mirror our own", Cargill said.

Akutagawa was one of Japan’s "great" writers, according to Faber. Author of the stories "Rashōmon" and "In a Bamboo Grove", he lived through Japan’s turbulent Taishō period of 1912 to 1926, including the devastating 1923 Earthquake, only to take his own life at the age of 35 in 1927.

Faber holds world rights (excluding USA, North America and Japan) to the title. Bungei Shunju, who initiated and runs the Akutagawa Prize, acquired Japanese rights from Hamish Macaskill at EAJ, with US rights bought by Sonny Mehta at Knopf. 

Peace, named in 2003 as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists, was born and brought up in Yorkshire. He is the author of the Red Riding Quartet (Serpent's Tail); GB84 (Faber), which was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize; The Damned Utd (Faber); and Red or Dead (Faber), which was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize. The final part of his Tokyo Trilogy (Faber) will publish in Summer 2019. Patient X is his tenth novel. He lives in Tokyo.