Faber and Profile to jointly publish new Alan Bennett novella

Faber & Faber and Profile Books are set to jointly publish a new Alan Bennett novella this November. Profile Books and Faber & Faber have been co-publishing Alan Bennett since 2005 and UK and Commonwealth rights to Killing Time, including Canada, were acquired from Charles Walker at United Agents.

His previous books include Untold Stories, The Uncommon Reader, The Lady in the Van, Smut and Keeping On Keeping On. Bennett’s latest novella is a brand new work set in a home for the elderly before and during lockdown; which the publisher describes as “a glorious, darkly comic treat”.

Dinah Wood, editorial director for drama at Faber, said: “There is nothing to beat being handed a battered box file by Alan Bennett containing a new manuscript. This one is a gem, richly layered and mysterious, with an eclectic cast of wonderful characters. The dialogue is delicious and the narrative poignant and funny. In other words, this is vintage Alan B!”

In lieu of a comment, Bennett responded with a laugh and said: “It’s more of the same!”

Andrew Franklin, Profile founder director, said: “Publishing is a rewarding career but there are exceptional highs, and publishing Alan Bennett is definitely one of them. A great actor, comic, playwright and writer, it is a huge treat to publish his glorious new fiction, Killing Time. And all the more so as we are doing so with our besties at Faber.”