Pan Mac lands Marrs in two-book deal

John Marrs, author of The One (Del Rey), soon to be released as a Netflix series, is moving to Pan Macmillan for two speculative thrillers.

Marrs' former editor, Pan Mac publishing director Gillian Green, acquired world rights direct from the author.

Set in the same world as The One, first book The Marriage Act is a “dark, high-concept thriller set five minutes in the future where a right-wing government is using Artificial Intelligence to enforce the sanctity of marriage and monitor relationships with devastating consequences”. It will be released in an original trade paperback and e-book in January 2023.

The One, Marrs’ debut novel, has sold over 200,000 copies in the UK according to Pan Mac and was a Radio 2 Book Club selection. Through Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market it has sold 31,649 print copies. The author has shifted over 1.4 million books worldwide, according to the publisher, with The One selling in 32 countries to date.

Netflix will be broadcasting an eight-part series based on The One in spring 2021. Another of Marrs' novels, What Lies Between Us (Thomas & Mercer), has also been optioned by Renee Zellweger’s production company at MGM TV.

Green said: “John Marrs is an exceptionally talented writer with a rare gift for coming up with dark, twisted and highly original ideas that are also frighteningly plausible and incredibly cinematic. I’ve always said that John’s books are where 'Black Mirror' meets thriller but The Marriage Act has a dash of The Handmaid’s Tale to it as well. It’s a dark compelling novel about relationships pushed to the extreme and will find John an even wider, mainstream readership.”

Marrs added: “I am thrilled to be teaming up with Gillian again for more fiction together. I love working with her and she is always so supportive and encouraging. I am also very much looking forward to working with the team at Pan Macmillan and I’m sure this next chapter in my career is going to be equally as exciting as the first.”