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Fleet scoops debut novel from poet Sophie Robinson
Fleet, an imprint of Little, Brown, has scooped the debut novel from poet Sophie Robinson. Editorial director Rhiannon Smith acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Prairie Oyster from Lisa Baker at Aitken Alexander.
Prairie Oyster follows filmmaker Pearl, struggling with addiction and an obsession with making her next film about a 1940s film star who drank herself into oblivion. The synopsis continues: "When Pearl meets her idol, cult lesbian filmmaker, Mitch Meyer, she embraces sobriety and follows them to New York in the hopes of building a relationship and finding stability. But the truth is that Pearl is simply swapping one addiction for another, and as things begin to unravel so does her tenuous sobriety. As the lines between Pearl and Veronica’s lives become blurred it becomes increasingly clear how alone Pearl really is, and how much she still has to lose."
Prairie Oyster will be published in February 2026.
Robinson said: "I am beyond thrilled to be publishing Prairie Oyster with Fleet. I am so grateful to Rhiannon Smith and her team for wholeheartedly believing in the book, as well as to Lisa Baker at Aitken Alexander for her patient and unwavering support over many drafts. This novel has been at the centre of my life for a long time, and I am so excited to finally share Veronica and Pearl’s stories with the world."
Smith said: "I have been following Sophie avidly since being introduced to her brilliant collection, Rabbit. Prairie Oyster is strikingly original, hugely affecting and marks the start of an exciting new phase for Sophie’s writing. I’m beyond delighted to have brought her to the list and can’t wait for readers to discover Pearl and Veronica’s story in 2026."
Baker said: "I first met Sophie when I read her superb poem ‘Art in America’, relishing in her fierce, plaintive and stylish deconstruction of a broken-hearted summer. I can’t think of a better editor to publish this story of addiction and queer romance, and its delicate mirroring of two lives in freefall."
