HarperFiction wins three-way auction for Jan Saenz’s 'heist novel with a love story at its heart'

Harperfiction has acquired 200 Monas, a "heist novel with a love story at its heart", by Jan Saenz in a three-way auction.

Martha Ashby, publishing director at HarperFiction, bought UK and commonwealth rights from Hayley Steed on behalf of Jessica Spitz at Janklow & Nesbit. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026.

North American rights were acquired by Gabriella Mongelli at Little Brown, Hachette US in a pre-empt from Jessica Spitz at Janklow & Nesbit (US) and screen rights were snapped up by Amazon MGM with Imagine Entertainment on board to produce.

Pitched as Margo’s Got Money Troubles meets Uncut Gems, 200 Monas follows Arvy Keening, a young woman about to graduate university who has 48 hours to sell her recently deceased mother’s stash of pills: a rare pharmaceutical drug with mind-blowing side effects. She enlists the help of Wolf, a local drug dealer with a heart of gold, to get the job done. The book follows their adventure across campus to shift the pills, while Arvy wrestles with her fresh grief and her unknown future.

Ashby said: "Jan’s book is like nothing I’ve ever read – a breakneck page-turner that is alternately incredibly sexy, wincingly embarrassing, desperately sad, laugh-out-loud hilarious and chillingly terrifying. It’s Breaking Bad if Walter was a messy Gen Z wrestling with grief – Arvy is plucky and endearingly relatable, even when she’s having a pill-induced orgasm in front of her entire class, and you just want her to get away with it all."

Saenz said: "I am so excited to pair with Martha and HarperCollins UK on this book. It was a labour of love – a long, joyful exercise in ‘write the book you want to read’. I hope readers have as much fun reading it as I had writing it."

Steed added: "200 Monas is an exceptional novel – a blisteringly unique, heartfelt story of grief, it’s also a completely hilarious (and sexy) joy ride and I can’t wait for everyone to meet Arvy and Wolf. I’m delighted to have been a part of finding a brilliant UK home for this special book."