Fleet to publish Nikkitha Bakshani’s ‘sharply observed’ debut

Fleet has snapped up Nikkitha Bakshani’s “sharply observed” debut set in America and India.

Editorial director Rhiannon Smith acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Ghost Chilli from Sophie Scard at United Agents, and the book will be published in print and e-book in July 2024.

“Ghost Chilli follows Muskan, struggling to find her way in New York city, navigating the media world among a strong feeling of imposter syndrome, leaning on friends who tire of being leaned on, and grappling with the relationship with her mother — at once loving and controlling,” the synopsis says. “As the cracks begin to show, Muskan attempts to discover what led her family to America from India in the first place. Ghost Chilli is a story about trying to find meaningful relationships in an isolated world, where the line between performance and reality is blurred, and how what we unwittingly carry can weigh us down.”

Bakshani said: “This book is centred on a character who has sharp insights on contemporary culture, but tends to realise them too late, after it has lost relevance and everybody around her has moved on to the next issue. When I started writing it five years ago, it was a much simpler book about the disorienting experience of immigration. Working with Fleet on Ghost Chilli helped me see how that kind of disorientation — of struggling to catch up with the speed at which the world moves — is a universal experience, one that is sometimes alienating and often quite funny.”

Smith added: “It’s been brilliant working with Nikkitha on her stunning debut. Muskan’s is a voice we all fell for here, and Nikkitha has crafted a book that speaks to the way we relate to the world and each other. Whenever reading, I’m struck by her ability to balance humour and poignancy to tell a story that is compelling and affecting — I’m so looking forward to bringing it to readers this summer.”