Walker snaps up Ness' Moby Dick re-imagining

Walker Books is to publish a new novel from Patrick Ness in September 2018, entitled And The Ocean Was Our Sky.

Executive editorial director Denise Johnstone Burt acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Michelle Kass at Michelle Kass Associates.

And The Ocean Was Our Sky is a re-imagining of the classic American novel Moby Dick from the perspective of the whale. The novel begins "Call me Bathsheba”, echoing "one of the most famous opening sentences ever written", said the publisher.

Bathsheba's tale is of the hunt for a legend and a myth, the hunt for a devil named Toby Wick, whose white hull lurks in the deep. Exploring themes of the power of obsession and the injustice of war, the story will be accompanied by "stunning" artwork throughout from Australian illustrator Rovina Cai, and published in a "gorgeous" gift hardback.

Johnstone Burt said: “One of the joys of publishing Patrick Ness is that you never know what marvels he will produce next. His talent is never bound by a particular genre.  Now, once more, he has written something astounding and quite different with And The Ocean Was Our Sky. A lyrical and mythical story, Patrick’s reimagining of Moby Dick is set to stand alongside the original as a classic fable for our time.”

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (Walker), edited and designed by the same team as And the Ocean Was Our Sky has won both the Carnegie and the Greenaway Medal for Jim Kay’s artwork – the only book to have ever won both awards. In addition to hitting big screens as a movie adaptation starring Liam Neeson last year, it is set for the stage with an adaptation appearing first at the Bristol Old Vic then transferring to the Old Vic in London later this year. The movie adaptation of Ness' Chaos Walking (Walker) is set for release in 2019, starring Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelsen and directed by Doug Liman.

Last week, it was revealed that Ness’ latest novel Release had been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, putting him in line to potentially win the award for a record-breaking third time.