Fourth Estate snaps up debut novel from Van Der Borgh in four-way auction

Fourth Estate has snapped up the debut novel from Kate Van Der Borgh in a four-way auction.

Editorial director Katie Bowden secured UK and Commonwealth rights to And He Shall Appear from Rosie Pierce at Curtis Brown in a one-book deal. North American rights were sold by UTA to Union Square & Co. in a six figure pre-empt, and German rights were sold by Curtis Brown to Goldmann in a pre-empt. It will publish in autumn 2024.

And He Shall Appear is a dark academia thriller about a young Cambridge undergraduate in the 2000s who finds himself in thrall to his notoriously wild classmate Bryn Cavendish. Bryn, a budding occultist and host of debauched campus parties, commands a group of loyal fans and followers; those who cross Bryn end up outcast, haunting the peripheries of the college like spectres. When Bryn’s magic tricks start going further than they have before, those around him begin to wonder: is there a darker side to Bryn than any of them imagined? 

Bowden said: “And He Shall Appear opens with one of the most chilling scenes I’ve ever encountered in a novel, and that deliciously suspenseful atmosphere is sustained until the novel’s heartstopping closing pages. Kate has created an unforgettable cast of characters in Bryn Cavendish and his band of followers. We’re delighted to welcome Kate to Fourth Estate.”

Van Der Borgh added: “My agent Rosie Pierce is a magician herself, because she has somehow found the absolute dream team to bring And He Shall Appear to the UK. I’m beyond delighted to be in the Fourth Estate team’s capable hands. I hope that, together, we can leave readers feeling wrongfooted, moved, and maybe a little nervous to turn out the light.”

Van Der Borgh grew up in Burnley and studied Music at Cambridge. Her short fiction has been published by The Fiction Desk, and she’s a graduate of Faber’s six-month Writing A Novel course.