Viking bags Bose's Dirty Laundry debut in six-figure pre-empt

Viking has bagged Dirty Laundry, a “page-turning tale of the dark side of suburbia” from debut writer Disha Bose, in a six-figure pre-empt.

Publisher Katy Loftus acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from agent Marianne Gunn O’Connor. American rights were pre-empted shortly after by Andra Miller at Ballantine. It will be released in spring 2023.

The novel is about three mothers who are all part of the same clique, whose secrets and lies lead to the murder of one of them. “It tackles age-old ideas of the face we present to the world, the impossibility of who we fall in love with and the urge to create better versions of ourselves in our children,” the publisher explained.

Loftus said: “Disha’s novel blew me away with its confidence and the sheer pleasure of reading. It brings to mind the best of the novels about the dark side of suburban life and parenthood, from Little Fires Everywhere to Big Little Lies, but with a take that is completely now. Her three women – Ciara, Lauren and Mishti – are not the women you expect to see, and neither are the secrets they keep. I could not put it down, nor could anyone at Penguin General. I am overjoyed that Viking will be launching what is sure to be a brilliant literary career.”

Bose, 31, was born and raised in India, and has lived in Calcutta, London and Dublin. She worked in the tech industry before being joining the Masters in creative writing programme at University College Dublin where she was mentored by Anne Enright. She was shortlisted for the DNA Short Story Prize for 2016, and her poetry and short stories have appeared in The Incubator Journal, The Galway Review, Cultured Vultures, and Headstuff. Her travel pieces have appeared in the Economic Times of India and Coldnoon. She now lives in Ballincollig, Cork.

She said: “In Dirty Laundry I explore the complicated roles of couples today, the sometimes uncomfortable dynamics of female friendship, and our ideas of happiness. With one of my characters, in particular, I wanted to examine the immigrant experience of parenthood; what it means to raise your children in a country that isn't your own. I'm delighted to have found the perfect home for this book, and am grateful to my agent Marianne Gunn O'Connor and my editors Katy Loftus at Viking Penguin and Andra Miller at Ballantine USA for being its loudest cheerleaders.”

Her agent commented: “From the moment I started reading Dirty Laundry I was absolutely gripped and thought what a talent, what a supernova bright future lies ahead of this young author!  How honoured and lucky I am now to represent her... I couldn’t have found a better champion than super editor Katy Loftus at Viking Penguin for Disha. From her initial response, I knew she was a perfect match and that Disha will fly with her and the wonderful Viking Penguin Team. I could not be happier.”