Fourth Estate acquires Cecile Pin's 'piercing' new novel

Fourth Estate has acquired a “piercing” new novel from Wandering Souls author Cecile Pin. 

Kishani Widyaratna, publishing director, acquired British Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, for Celestial Lights in physical, e-book and audio from Matthew Turner at RCW Literary Agency. North American rights were sold to Retha Powers at Holt Books. It will publish in hardback in June 2025. 

Celestial Lights is billed as “a heartbreaking meditation on memory, manhood, love and the sacrifices required to achieve greatness” that is partly inspired by the myth of Odysseus. 

The synopsis says: “January 28, 1986: soon after launch, the Challenger shuttle falls out of the sky and into the sea. At the same time, in a small English village, Oliver Ines is born. 

“Celestial Lights is his story – from his idyllic childhood, first discovering his enthusiasm for astronomy and falling in love with his neighbour Philly, to becoming one of the most renowned astronauts of his era. As he embarks on the long journey home from a 10-year mission that took him further into the cosmos than anyone has even been, he reflects on his life and the moments – suffused with both joy and tragedy – that led him to where he is.” 

Widyaratna said: “It is a joy to celebrate a piercing new novel from Cecile Pin at Fourth Estate. Readers of Wandering Souls will find much to treasure again in Celestial Lights: Cecile’s deeply humane characterisation, her playful storytelling, her beautiful writing and her profound illumination of human connection and the making of a life. This book also marks a brilliant, ambitious step forward and we are both proud and hugely excited to share it with readers.” 

Pin added: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to continue my relationship with Fourth Estate with Celestial Lights. The response to Wandering Souls has been beyond my wildest dreams, and I’m so grateful for all the support it received. My thanks to Kishani Widyaratna and the whole Fourth Estate team and Matt Turner at RCW. I can’t wait for readers to meet Oliver and Philly.”