Picador wins Polzin's 'irresistible' Brood in six-way auction

Picador has won a six-publisher auction for Jackie Polzin's “irresistible” debut Brood, a novel about grief, motherhood and chickens.

Commissioning editor Kishani Widyaratna snapped up UK and Commonwealth rights in physical, e-book and audio from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein, on behalf of Lucy Carson and Molly Friedrich at The Friedrich Agency. It will be released in April 2021. North American rights went to Lee Boudreaux at Doubleday after an eight-way auction.

The synopsis states: “Brood depicts one woman’s attempts to keep her chickens alive while coming to terms with a recent tragic loss. Over the course of a single year, the narrator heroically tries to keep her small brood of four chickens alive despite the seemingly endless challenges that she encounters. From the freezing nights of a brutal winter to a sweltering summer which brings a surprise tornado, she battles predators, bad luck, and the uncertainty of a future that may not look anything like the one she always imagined."

Jackie Polzin is a recent graduate of the Boise State MFA programme who currently lives in St Paul, Minnesota. Her debut has already been described by Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (Serpent's Tail), as “completely original, full of surprise, humour, grief, and wisdom and just the right amount of chickens”.

Widyaratna said: “Brood completely stole the hearts of everyone at Picador. There is so much to love. From our wry narrator's unforgettable voice to the unique characters of the brilliantly realised chickens, to the devastating insights the book delivers on motherhood, grief, marriage and so much more. Sublimely written, quietly profound, deeply affecting and cut through with sly humour, it is a simply irresistible novel. Reading Jackie Polzin I was reminded of writers such as Jenny Offill, Elizabeth Strout and Sigrid Nunez. All of us at Picador can’t wait to introduce readers to Brood and the remarkable talent of Jackie Polzin.”

Polzin commented: “Brood has been embraced so warmly by the whole Picador team. It was clear to me, as is the dream of every artist, that the book had been shared and received on a personal level. I am in awe of the group’s vast energy and talent, and moved by their commitment. Right away I knew Brood had found its home in the UK with Picador.”