Fleet wins four-way auction for the late Min’s ‘bitingly savage’ second novel 

Fleet has triumphed in a four-way auction for The Fetishist by Katherine Min, “a unique, compelling, and at times bitingly savage" novel.

Senior editor Amy Perkins, covering for editorial director Rhiannon Smith, bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Emma Leong at Janklow & Nesbit, on behalf of P J Mark. North American rights have been sold to Sally Kim at Putnam.

Author of Minor Feelings (Profile Books), Cathy Park Hong, a friend of Min’s, will write an introduction to the novel, which is the second and final novel by Katherine Min, who died in 2019.

The synopsis reads: “Kyoko is a young woman driven by one desire: to avenge the death of her mother by killing the man she believes drove her to her death. Daniel is her clueless quarry, a once celebrated violinist who nowadays is only invited to play music for the terminally ill. However, Kyoko’s plan goes awry from the beginning, and what follows is a black comedy that confronts whiteness, Asian femininity, and anti-Asian racism.”

Min’s 2006 debut novel, Secondhand World (Anchor Books), was a finalist for the PEN/Bingham Prize. Every year, artist residency programme MacDowell gives a Katherine Min Fellowship to support a residency for an Asian American writer. Min’s daughter, writer and editor Kayla Min Andrews, has helped to edit the novel and intends to help promote it before and after publication. The Fetishist will be published in hardback, e-book, and audio in January 2024. 

Min Andrews said: “When Mom died, I assumed that meant it was too late for The Fetishist. I thought it was a damn shame. Yet interestingly the novel feels more relevant than ever now. It’s been an amazing journey finding a home for it and getting it ready for publication. I’m so happy The Fetishist will be going out into the world, and so sad Mom isn’t here to see it happen.”

Perkins described the book as “one of those novels that captured the hearts of the entire company from the very beginning”.

“With the pitch-black humour reminiscent of books such as Killing Eve (John Murray), but with a vital message at its core, it’s the type of stunning contemporary fiction we only see once in a blue moon. We are all honoured that Kayla has chosen Fleet to publish The Fetishist in the UK and help continue her mother’s incredible legacy.”