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Brazen has scooped Bad Vibes, the "riotous" debut novel from Aja Barber.
World English-language rights were acquired by publisher Romilly Morgan from Jon Wood at RCW for publication in July 2025. The novel will be edited by Jane Link, junior commissioning editor.
Bad Vibes turns climate fiction "on its head as it takes the emotional temprature of our era". The story follows Hope, living in a world where the planet is "sliding into an anti-climatic climate apocalypse".
The synopsis continues: "Her professor parents have been exiled from their hometown for speaking truth to power. And when not casually living through a mass extinction event, she’s passed over in favour of mediocre white classmates like her blonde frenemy Ali. A decade later, Hope has clawed her way into a career as the uncredited mastermind behind the biggest anti-extinction charity on Earth. That is until Hope is made to attend an super-luxe fundraising retreat targeting repentant billionaires who are looking for their spiritual awakening."
Barber commented: "When I wrote Consumed, one of the most rewarding reactions was how much non-white women felt seen within the work. With Bad Vibes, I hope to achieve the same result. A lot of the book is specific to a Black girl’s experience in a very white world, but I think many of us can identify with lopsided friendships and toxic work environments all happening on a burning planet."
Morgan called the novel "an irreverent, wicked satire set against a burnt-up, smouldering world".