Canongate to publish 30th anniversary edition of Shell’s Iced as film rights optioned

Canongate is publishing an edition of Ray Shell’s Iced, “a shocking account of an addict’s life”, to mark 30 years since it was originally published.

Jamie Byng, c.e.o. and publisher of Canongate, acquired world rights from Crystal Mahey-Morgan at OWN IT!.

North American rights have already been sold to Abby West at Harper Amistad. Film rights have been optioned by director Lee Daniels (“Precious”, “The Butler” and “The United States vs Billie Holiday”) and is in development. A theatre production of Iced will also be staged at the Playground Theatre in Notting Hill this October.

Taking the form of a fictional diary, Iced is described by the publisher as “Cornelius Washington’s mesmerising account of his troubling descent into crack cocaine addiction". Its synopsis goes on: “Cornelius has hit rock bottom when the book begins, his life a chaotic, hallucinatory burnout. Moving between the harsh realities of this present and the adventures and highs of his successful past, Iced is at once a shocking account of the addict’s life, and a poignant reminder of how fragile our hold on life can be."

Byng said: “In Iced, Ray blends pathos, poetry and pain into a tale that is heartbreaking, brutal, shocking and extraordinarily compelling. It is one of the great novels about addiction, and I’m delighted we are bringing Ray’s important book to a new audience with this new edition."

Shell said: “I’m so grateful to Jamie Byng and everyone at Canongate and feel incredibly blessed to have been given another luscious bite of the publishing cherry with them.”