Granta wins auction for Hyde's Second World War debut

Granta Books has acquired lecturer Alex Hyde’s first novel, Violets, in a four-way auction.

Set at the end of the Second World War, the book is a fictional reimagining of Hyde's father’s birth, which draws on "both family mythology and his personal archives".

Editorial director Anne Meadows acquired UK & Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Emma Paterson at Aitken Alexander.

She said: "It is so rare to find a novelist with an entirely new sensibility, one able to mix registers and voices, to enter into history with a contemporary gaze, and to gamely take the novel into new forms.

"Alex’s two Violets are extraordinary creations, brought to life with love. Everyone at Granta felt that our list was the perfect place for a writer like Alex, and is so excited at the prospect of bringing Violets into the world."

Hyde, who is a lecturer in gender studies at UCL, commented: "I’m delighted to have found the perfect place for Violets, and for me, at Granta. I’m incredibly excited to work with Anne given her nuanced and insightful interpretation of the book, and with all the team to bring the characters into the world. It’s absolutely where this story belongs."

Granta will publish Violets in the spring of 2022.