Dialogue wins auction for Johnson's debut

Dialogue Books has won a two-way auction for the debut of Stanford Law School graduate Chantal V Johnson. 

Publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Post-Traumatic from Peggy Boulos Smith and Stacy Testa at Writers House to be published in April 2022 in tandem with Little, Brown US.  

The blurb reads: “To the outside observer, Vivian is a success story – a dedicated lawyer who advocates for mentally ill patients at a psychiatric hospital. But privately, she contends with the memories of a difficult childhood, compounded by the everyday stresses of being a Black, Latinx woman in New York. A debut from a stunning talent, Post-Traumatic is a new kind of survivor narrative, featuring a complex heroine who is blazingly, indelibly alive.”  

Johnson is a tenant lawyer and writer. A graduate of Stanford Law School and a 2018 Center for Fiction Emerging Writers Fellow, she lives in New York.  

Lovegrove said: “A writer really shows their brilliance when they are at once able to speak to you, the reader, so directly while also opening you up to new ideas and perspectives. As someone who intimately knows the challenges of estrangement, I was amazed to see the theme handled with such originality and eloquence. I am grateful to Chantal for shedding light on this area as I’ve never read a novel that fully tackled this taboo that so many of us grapple with. Chantal’s voice is so powerful and inspirational as her characters deal with a broad range of topics across race, mental health, identity and belonging, alongside a wide pallet of emotions from laughter to grief in this relatable, astounding and moving debut.” 

Johnson commented: “Within minutes of talking to Sharmaine I knew that she understood Post-Traumatic  on both an aesthetic and a personal level, and I trusted that Dialogue Books would take great care of us. Dialogue’s commitment to thinking and publishing intersectionally is unparalleled, and I am so honoured to join their impeccable list.” 

Boulos Smith said: “Dialogue Books it has been an amazing force in UK publishing since launching five years ago – with the indomitable Sharmaine Lovegrove at the helm it has outlined an incredible vision for both diversity and quality in its authors.  It was no surprise to me that Sharmaine reacted with such enthusiasm and intensity to Chantal’s compelling debut and with Maisie [Lawrence, Lovegrove’s maternity cover] and the team at Dialogue Books behind it, I know that Post-Traumatic will reach readers far and wide.”