Eye Books lands Fiona Whyte's 'lovingly crafted' debut

Eye Books has landed Let These Things Be Written, the debut novel based on the life of Saint Cuthbert from Fiona Whyte. 

Publisher Dan Hiscocks acquired world rights directly from the author. The novel will be published under the Lightning Books imprint in October 2024. 

Originally written as part of Whyte’s PhD in creative writing, Let These Things Be Written was longlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize. It tells the story of a young monk, given by his parents to the Lindisfarne monastery, who is taken under the wing of Cuthbert, "the eccentric holy hermit in nominal charge of the community". 

Senior editor Simon Edge said: "This is a lovingly crafted tale that transports the reader with great adroitness into the monastic world of 17th-century England, managing to make that period’s hybrid blend of science and superstition remarkably relatable for 21st-century readers. There’s also a murky family mystery at the novel’s core, plus an unforgettable central character in the disturbed, other-worldly Cuthbert." 

Whyte added: "The story of Saint Cuthbert has been my passion for several years now. I’m delighted to have found a publisher with a genuine understanding and appreciation of a subject so close to my heart. Eye Books have worked sensitively, thoughtfully and collaboratively with me on my manuscript, and I hope that readers of Let These Things Be Written will find Cuthbert and his world as compelling as I do."