Newly launched Renard acquires Iain Hood debut

Renard Press has made its first acquisition, landing Iain Hood's debut novel This Good Book.

The press' founder and publisher Will Dady acquired world rights to the novel directly from the author.

He said: "I’m absolutely delighted to be kicking off Renard’s contemporary fiction list with This Good Book—it’s beautifully written, compelling and shocking, and had me hooked from beginning to end. That is, of course, what all editors are looking for when they read submissions, and I’m confident that this very good book will elicit a smile from even the most jaded reader, and will lay the perfect foundation stone for Renard’s fiction list."

Set in the Glasgow School of Art in the 1980's, the novel follows the story of a crucifixion painting that takes 14 years to paint. The synopsis describes the books as as "wickedly funny, brilliantly observed novel that spins the moral compass and plays with notions of creating art."

Dady launched Renard Press earlier this year, with the intention of intention to "fleshing out the literary classics canon" by publishing lesser known works and following a queer-led ethos. The press will release one book a month as of January 2021, focusing on classics with some contemporary novels. 

The press also has a subscription service, which will enable readers receive a copy of every book published in advance of the publication date, in addition to offering hand-bound editions every month.