Granta signs Partlett's non-fiction debut about New York's Fire Island

Granta has signed non-fiction debut Written in the Sand by British poet and essayist Jack Parlett.

Meadows acquired UK & Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Jane Finigan at Lutyens & Rubinstein. North American rights were previously sold, at auction, to John Glynn at Hanover Square Press. Written in the Sand will publish in 2022.

The book “follows the lives of the poets, writers, artists and activists who found freedom on this infamous strip of land, New York’s iconic Fire Island" and "is a magisterial account of queer desire in the 20th century” according to the synopsis.

Meadows said: “My colleagues and I were utterly beguiled by Jack’s beautiful prose and his deft ability to bring his characters to dazzling, technicolour life. He is a writer of enormous talent and promise, and we are so excited to welcome him to the Granta list.”

Parlett’s poems have appeared in Hotel and Blackbox Manifold and his debut pamphlet, same blue, different you, will be published by Broken Sleep Books in August 2020. He has a PhD from Cambridge University and teaches at University College, Oxford, where he also holds a junior research fellowship.