Gollancz spellbound by Virdi’s debut epic fantasy trilogy

Gollancz has acquired the debut epic fantasy trilogy from R R Virdi, launching with The First Binding in August 2022. 

Brendan Durkin, editor, bought UK and Commonwealth rights in three titles from Stevie Finegan at the Zeno Agency, on behalf of Joshua Bilmes at the JABberwocky Agency.

"In R R Virdi's The First Binding, a storyteller and a dancer meet in a bar, then they change the world," the synopsis reads.

Durkin commented: "As soon as I started reading Ronnie’s book, I knew I had an epic tale in my hands. A fantasy about the power of storytelling – what’s not to love? Magic permeates every page, it contains one of the grandest worlds I’ve ever encountered, and it has a captivating mystery running right through its core. I can’t wait to get it in readers’ hands."

Virdi, who has previously self-published the Grave Report series, said: "The First Binding began as a love letter to stories themselves, mythology, and how tales travel and twist over time and distance. How there are unifying myths and legends out there in the world, and how they've been traded along the lengths of the Silk Road along with lesser riches such as gold and spices. This was my chance to show my love for the many stories I grew up with. After all, what's more important than a story? It's been a delight working with Brendan Durkin. And I could think of no better house for this series than Gollancz, with its long history and tradition of great, epic fantasies from some of the best in the craft."

Finegan added: "From its first line, The First Binding is such a beautiful fantasy, with an utterly unique flavour, sure to enchant readers as it luxuriates in the magic of storytelling. It has been an absolute pleasure to jump on the success train that is Ronnie's writing career and help this book find its perfect UK home. Brendan and Gollancz continue to be brilliant champions of the project and I can't wait for this most epic of epic fantasies to reach readers next year."