Century acquires ‘propulsive’ debut novel from Hodder’s Kazumi

Century has acquired Claire, Darling, the debut novel by Callie Kazumi, senior marketing manager at Hodder, and one further as-yet-untitled novel.

Publishing director Emily Griffin acquired UK and Commonwealth rights including audio from Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson Literary TV & film agency. Century will publish Claire, Darling in Penguin paperback, e-book and audio in spring 2025.

Claire, Darling is described as “the page-turning story of a woman who turns up at her fiancé’s office to surprise him on their anniversary, only to be told that he hasn’t worked there for weeks".

The synopsis adds that, in fact, she has been ghosted by him entirely, and she becomes obsessed with uncovering his other life. The story weaves between the present day, with flashbacks to Claire’s childhood and her toxic relationship with her mother, in a way that constantly twists the reader’s understanding of the truth.

Kazumi said: “I am absolutely over the moon to be working with Team Penguin and Emily on Claire, Darling. This book has been festering in my mind for so long and I’m delighted to be going down the road of publication with such a brilliant team around me. Their vision and creativity so far has blown me away and I can’t think of a better home for my novel. I’m also overwhelmed by Camilla’s support and direction – I couldn’t have done this without her passion and enthusiasm and am honoured to be on her list.”

Griffin commented: “This is a novel that starts by asking the question ‘What if your fiancé disappeared?’ and takes you to entirely unexpected places – I couldn’t read it quickly enough! Claire is a unique and transfixing character and her story encompasses obsession, love, murder and the fragility of the human mind in a way that is sure to drive a strong word-of-mouth response in readers. Callie is a star in the making on the Century list – the team is bursting with creative ideas to bring her standout debut novel to market – and we can’t wait to start putting them into place!”

Bolton added: “Callie is a dream author and Claire, Darling is commercial storytelling at its finest; we have the incredible unforgettable Claire, compulsive pacing, and a key question at the heart of the story that takes the reader on a remarkable journey, because why did Noah ghost Claire on their anniversary? I’m so thrilled Callie has found her home with Emily and the Century team, it is the perfect combination and their passion, plans and ambitions will make Claire, Darling the debut suspense thriller of 2025. Remember the name Callie Kazumi, she is going to be a star!”