Hamish Hamilton signs Avni Doshi's 'superb' second novel

Hamish Hamilton has signed Protection, the “superb” second novel from 2020 Booker Prize shortlistee Avni Doshi.

Editor Hermione Thompson acquired English-language UK, Commonwealth and European rights, excluding the Indian subcontinent, from Maria Cardona at Pontas Literary & Film Agency. It will be published in spring 2023.

Doshi’s critically acclaimed 2020 debut Burnt Sugar (Hamish Hamilton) centred on a troubled mother-daughter relationship. Her second novel turns its attention to fathers and daughters.

The blurb explains: “Set in India and America, Protection is narrated by the youngest of three children in a close-knit but unhappy family. Across the span of several generations, it traces the effects of patriarchy, tradition and trauma, forces which mark each family member deeply and differently. Offering a devastating accounting of the economies of love, money and control that circulate through a household, Protection is a blazing examination of power and its abuses.”

Burnt Sugar was described by Booker judges as “beautifully written with startling imagery—emotionally wrenching and poignant in equal measure”, while the Sunday Times branded it “arresting and fiercely intelligent”. It was picked as a "book of the year" by the Guardian, Economist and Spectator. The novel has been sold into 23 languages, and released by 25 publishing houses worldwide.

Thompson said: “Avni Doshi is a fierce and rare literary talent: her writing has extraordinary poise, intimacy and clarity, and an utterly thrilling ruthlessness in naming the monsters that live within us. With Protection, she continues her exploration of the monstrous domestic, and in so doing illuminates disquieting truths about the forces that shape society. I couldn’t be more delighted to be publishing a second novel by one of the brightest new lights in the literary world.”

Doshi added: “Protection is really about how families can shield us from the outside while leaving us vulnerable within. It has been such a joy to work with Hermione on Burnt Sugar—she has been a guide and a friend throughout—and I’m thrilled to begin this new project with her and Hamish Hamilton.”