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Fourth Estate wins eight-way auction for Arlo Parks' debut
Fourth Estate has won an eight-publisher auction for the debut poetry and song lyrics book The Magic Border, by Mercury Prize-winning musician Arlo Parks.
Kishani Widyaratna, publishing director, and Katie Bowden, editorial director, jointly acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, in physical, e-book and audio to The Magic Border: Poetry and Fragments from My Soft Machine. The deal followed an eight-way auction between publishers negotiated by Meredith Miller at UTA. North American rights went to Dey Street at auction with further rights selling in France and Germany.
The Magic Border will be published in hardback simultaneously in the UK and US in September 2023 and be supported by a major campaign.
It is the first book from Parks, “combining never-before-seen poetry, song lyrics and stunning images from collaborator, photographer Daniyel Lowden”, Fourth Estate said. “Featuring 20 original poems, alongside an exclusive artist’s statement and the complete lyrics from her sophomore album, ’My Soft Machine’, this vital collection explores the queer experience, Blackness, grief, trauma and love through the eyes of the remarkable young musician. The Magic Border allows readers a rare insight into the work and creative process of the artist whose fans and frequent collaborators include Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, Ocean Vuong, Zadie Smith, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles.” It has already gained advance praise from musicians such as Florence Welch and Lucy Dacus of band “Boy Genius”.
Widyaratna and Bowden said: “Arlo Parks is one of the most dazzling and singular new voices to have emerged in recent years. Her openheartedness, sublime songwriting and unique vision of the world have won legions of fans in just a few short years. This collage-like collection of poetry, song lyrics, notes and photography by Daniyel Lowden is beautiful to behold and shows her brilliance as a poet and artist transferred now to the page. It has been a dream for all of us at Fourth Estate to work with Arlo and Daniyel in putting The Magic Border together and we can’t wait to share this special book with readers this autumn.”
Parks said: “This book is a book about the speckles in my eyes, about what clouds my vision, about the specific beauty I see in the world. Daniyel is one of my best friends, his lens is so tender and we complement each other in our sensitive sensibility. This work is our offering to the world — I wanted to paint a softer and more human future, I wanted to be more vulnerable than ever. I hope the work moves you and encourages you to look within.”
Parks is a British-born singer, songwriter, and poet. Her debut album "Collapsed in Sunbeams" won the 2021 Mercury Prize as well as Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album. It was followed by the acclaimed "My Soft Machine".
