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Daunt Books acquires 'propulsive' debut from Ledia Xhoga
Daunt Books has acquired the "propulsive" debut interrogating "the darker legacies of family and country" from Ledia Xhoga. Editor Dredhëza Maloku acquired UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada) rights to Misinterpretation from Claire Roberts at Claire Roberts Global. It will publish in the UK in July 2025, and has already published in the US via Tin House, with editor Alyssa Ogi.
The synopsis reads: "Xhoga’s novel sees an Albanian interpreter in New York reluctantly agree to work with Alfred, a Kosovar torture survivor, during his therapy sessions. Alfred’s nightmares stir up her own buried memories, and as ill-fated decisions stack up, jeopardising the nameless narrator’s marriage and mental health, she takes a spontaneous trip back to Albania. Xhoga compellingly explores the boundary between compassion and self-preservation, resulting in a tense yet humane novel."
Maloku said: "I’m so pleased to welcome Ledia Xhoga to Daunt Originals. Moving and insightful about language, identity and post-national existence, Xhoga unpacks the vulnerabilities of the interpreter and the complexities of shifting between languages and makes sense of our multicultural world. She captures the chaos and beauty of Albania and its people so accurately—these parts particularly resonated with me, while vividly offsetting the New York scenes. For fans of Katie Kitamura’s Intimacies and Olivia Sudjic’s Asylum Road, this is a smart, sophisticated and gripping novel and I can’t wait to publish it here in the UK."
Xhoga said: "Indie publishers are true cultural warriors, amplifying the voices of lesser-known cultures and perspectives, expanding minds and opening hearts. As such I’m delighted that Misinterpretation will be published by Daunt Books. Joining the ranks of their other authors is truly an honour. That Misinterpretation will reach new readers thanks to its UK publication is thrilling. I can’t wait to see the book in Daunt stores and elsewhere."
