Bloomsbury snaps up 'savage and tender' debut in an overnight pre-empt

Bloomsbury has scooped Hard by a Great Forest, the debut of Georgian former refugee Leo Vardiashvili in an overnight pre-empt.

Publisher of Bloomsbury Trade, Alexis Kirschbaum, pre-empted the novel from Sara O’Keeffe at Aevitas Creative Management UK. Sarah McGrath at Riverhead acquired US rights also in an overnight pre-empt, and further rights have been sold on pre-empt to Ullstein in Germany, Bompiani in Italy, de Bezige Bji in the Netherlands,Trei in Romania and Intrinseca in Brazil. 

Set in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, two years after the occupation of South Ossetia by Russia in 2008, Hard by a Great Forest follows the fortunes of a father and sons who, having fled the conflict for asylum in western Europe, must return to their decaying but still beautiful homeland to rescue each other and make peace with the past. 

"By turns savage and tender, compassionate and harrowing, it is a powerful but ultimately hopeful novel about the individual and collective trauma of war and the indomitable spirit of a people determined not only to survive, but to remember those who did not," the synopsis explains. 

Vardiashvili travelled to London with his family as a refugee when he was 13. "Sara O’ Keeffe told me to hang on to my hat during the submission process for my debut but not how difficult that task would prove to be when interest came from Bloomsbury Publishing," he said. "It is a privilege to work with such a brilliant team, in particular Alexis Kirschbaum, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to the journey ahead."

Kirschbaum added: "Writing an intergenerational novel about a family in the aftermath of war and political crisis is difficult. To write one that is also charming and compassionate, as well as harrowing, requires a formidable combination of talent and humanity. I feel so lucky to be part of bringing this beautiful book to readers."