Doubleday wins five-way auction for Philyaw’s debut novel

Doubleday has triumphed in a five-way auction for the debut novel from Deesha Philyaw, the author of short story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Pushkin One), which won the Pen Faulkner Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was shortlisted for a National Book Award.

The new novel, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, was also the subject of a 14-way auction in the US. The deal for UK and Commonwealth rights in the novel and a new collection of short stories was struck by Kirsty Dunseath, publisher of Doubleday, with agent Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown on behalf of Danielle Chiotti at Upstart Crow Literary. Doubleday will be publishing simultaneously with HarperCollins in the US in early summer 2025.

Described as “a biting satire of the Black church and a deeply provocative story about sexual agency, family, friendship, and getting free”, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, stars an “unforgettable main character”—the first lady of a major megachurch.

Philyaw said: “In writing True Confessions, I really wanted to explore the narratives that 40- and 50-something Black women sometimes tell ourselves––as well as the narratives told about us––regarding our desires and aspirations. I’m excited for readers to meet my main character Schar, whom I’ve had so much fun writing. It is a dream come true to bring Schar’s story to fruition.”

Dunseath said: “I fell in love with Deesha’s writing from the moment I started reading that first story in The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. She has an electrifying voice and she writes with enormous humour and compassion about the complexities of the human heart. I am absolutely thrilled that we will be publishing The True Confessions and introducing the magnificent Schar to readers in the UK.”