Chatto & Windus seizes Fargo’s The Favourites in 12-hour pre-empt 

Chatto & Windus has acquired Layne Fargo’s “searing and compulsive” novel The Favourites, which “relocates the romance and intensity of Wuthering Heights to the brutally competitive world of Olympic figure skating, as a woman comes of age torn between love and ambition".

Kaiya Shang, commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Denise Cronin at Random House in a two-book deal, in a 12-hour pre-empt. The Favourites will be a lead title for Chatto & Windus and Vintage in early 2025, backed by a major long-tail campaign. The publisher says The Favourites is set to be the essential next read for fans of Taylor Jenkins-Reid, Emily Henry and Maggie O’Farrell.

Its synopsis reads: “Champion ice dancer Katarina Shaw and her partner Heath Rocha were famous for their scorching chemistry on the rink, and infamous for their tempestuous relationship off it – until a shocking incident during the Olympic Games brought the duo’s skating days to a sudden end.

“As the 10-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorised documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the ‘real story’ of the controversial couple through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Katarina wants nothing to do with the documentary but can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either, so she decides to share her side of the story."

Shang said: “Bringing Catherine and Heathcliff into the modern-day ice arena is pure genius, and Layne’s execution is flawless, with a propulsive structure that shifts between Katarina’s own account of her career and snippets from the tell-all film. From the moment I met Katarina I was mesmerised by her grit, vulnerability, passion, and absolute unshakable determination. Layne has combined so many of my favourite novelistic themes – desire, friendship, female ambition and media toxicity – into a boldly feminist story with enough drama and darkness to make Brontë proud.”

Fargo is the author of They Never Learn and Temper (Gallery/Scout Press), and is co-author of the Audible Original series “Young Rich Widows” and co-creator of the “Unlikeable Female Characters” podcast on Lit Hub Radio.

Fargo said: “After spending the darkest days of the pandemic struggling with several manuscripts that fell apart, I decided to give up on those projects and give myself permission to work on whatever brought me the most joy. Writing The Favourites has truly been the greatest pleasure of my artistic career so far, and I’m beyond thrilled by how swiftly and enthusiastically others have connected with Katarina and Heathcliff’s story too. I can’t wait to partner with Kaiya Shang at Chatto & Windus and Caitlin McKenna at Random House to bring The Favourites to readers around the world!”