Canongate seizes Dalton's 'magical' true story of a human and a baby hare

Canongate has seized Chloe Dalton’s Raising Hare, the "magical" true story of a bond between a human and a baby hare separated from its mother.

Senior commissioning editor Helena Gonda acquired world English rights from Caroline Michel at Peters Fraser + Dunlop. Canongate has since sold US rights to Denise Oswald at Pantheon.

The book will be a superlead title for Canongate, publishing in the UK in October 2024 and shortly after in the U.S. in spring 2025, as a hardback, e-book and audiobook, with a paperback to follow.

The synopsis says: "Raising Hare is a charming memoir of a chance encounter with a delicate leveret and how it transformed the author’s life. When lockdown led Chloe to leave the city and return to the countryside of her childhood, she never expected to find herself custodian of a newly born hare. Yet with each passing day, Chloe’s dedication unfolds in moments of tender care and shared discovery.

"Raising Hare chronicles their journey together, as Chloe navigates the challenges of caring for the leveret and preparing for its return to the wild. We witness first-hand the joy of this extraordinary relationship between human and animal, which serves as a reminder that the best experiences, and most beautiful, arise when we least expect them."

Dalton is a writer, political adviser and foreign policy expert. She commented: "Hare enchants and intrigues everyone who comes into contact with her, with her beauty and mysterious ways. I’m so glad to be able to share her story with others, and grateful to Canongate and Pantheon for their confidence in me."

Gonda added: "Chloe blew us all away with this utterly charming, magical tale. Her sense of awe and intrigue is infectious and the way it couples so effortlessly with larger issues of love, trust and mortality is powerful. She is a beautiful writer – clear-eyed and deeply observant, I know this is a book that will touch the hearts of many!"