Cassell acquires ‘heartwarming’ book on painting pig Pigcasso

Cassell, part of the Octopus Publishing Group, has acquired Pigcasso: The painting pig that saved a sanctuary by Joanne Lefson, with a foreword by Dr Jane Goodall.

Publisher Trevor Davies acquired world English rights from Alex Segal at InterTalent, with publication scheduled for 3rd August 2023.

When Joanne rescued two sow piglets from an industrial hog farm, she had little idea that one of them would become an international bestselling artist, the publisher’s synopsis begins: “This is the extraordinary, big-hearted tale of a human-pig bond that creates artistry desired by Hollywood A-listers, international brands and art collectors around the globe, breaking records en route."

It goes on: “Hilarious and fast-paced, Pigcasso paints a picture of a beautiful relationship that touches on fame, art and animal rights. Starting out with a humble canvas on the sanctuary wall, Pigcasso’s paintings are now owned by the likes of George Clooney, she has a Swatch watch design partnership, a wine label, and has eclipsed the previous world record price paid for a piece of animal art. She’s been commissioned by Nissan and has had exhibitions in Cape Town, Munich and Amsterdam.

“More than that, Pigcasso’s art funds the food and veterinary services for all the animals at the sanctuary. Pigcasso is the story of this unique pig and of the circumstances that brought her and Joanne together to take the art world by storm and form a unique and unbreakable bond.”

Lefson is an entrepreneur and animal lover, and the founder of the dog adoption agency Oscar’s Arc, which has saved the lives of thousands of shelter dogs since its inception in 2017. She is the founder of Farm Sanctuary SA. Pigcasso’s “abstract expressionist masterpieces” have sold all over the world and have raised over $1m for the sanctuary.

Davies said: “Joanne’s story is heart-warming, frantic, funny and utterly unique. From the moment you start reading Pigcasso, you quickly realise this is more than a gimmick of a painting pig, Pigcasso’s story is that of one woman’s passion for shedding light on why animals deserve better in today’s modern industrialised ‘farms’, while at the same time questioning the meaning of art. It’s also a story that gets to the heart of human/animal bonds… and it’s all told with Joanne’s boundless energy and laugh-out-loud humour.”

Lefson said: “I feel very grateful for having the opportunity to share Pigcasso’s story. The ultimate rags to riches tail, she has inspired these pages; sharing with the world just how intelligent pigs truly are while at the same time using her creative talents to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries far beyond her waistline.”