Footnote Press snaps up ‘lyrical, precise and visceral’ debut novel from actor Footman

Mongrel, the debut novel from writer and actor Hanako Footman longlisted for the Mo Siewcharran Prize in 2021, has gone to Footnote Press.

Editor Rose Green acquired UK and Commonwealth rights including audio from Rachel Yeoh at Madeleine Milburn Agency for publication in February 2024.

Described as “an intense dissection of familial roots and identity, as well as the fetishisation of East Asian women”, Mongrel tells the story of Mei, a Japanese-British girl growing up in Surrey as she mourns the death of her mother, Yuki, a Japanese music student newly arrived in London, and Haruka, a young bar hostess living in Tokyo.

As the strands of Mei’s, Yuki’s and Haruka’s lives separate and intertwine, Mongrel reveals a tangled web of isolation, sex, love, and ultimately, hope, said the publisher.

Green said: “Hanako’s writing is lyrical, precise and visceral in her depiction of adolescence, sex, grief and trauma. Mongrel captures the pain and glory of growing up—the sunny joys and the devastating lows, the tightrope between caution and abandon that each of her characters treads.

“Not only is it an incredibly relatable story of early adulthood but it explores the particular experience of growing up half-white, half-Japanese in the UK. I’m delighted that Mongrel is my first acquisition at Footnote. I could not have asked for a better book or author.”

Footman is a British-Japanese actor and author living in London. She has starred in projects across film, TV and theatre, from The Crown to the West End world premiere of “Mad House”. Mongrel is her debut novel, inspired by the lack of representation she felt in her own industry.

She said: “Mongrel is a story celebrating the nuance and beauty of belonging to more than one place. It is a tale that spans generations and countries, from the UK to Japan, encompassing the growing pains of youth and the aches of adulthood. It’s a home for anyone that wants it. And a love letter to my mother.

“I feel very lucky to have Rose Green and the team at Footnote Press championing Mongrel all the way to publication as well as the unending support Rachel Yeoh and everyone at Madeleine Milburn has so generously shown me.”