HarperNorth pre-empts A Rae Dunlap's debut The Resurrectionist

HarperNorth has secured debut gothic novel The Resurrectionist by A Rae Dunlap in a pre-empt. 

Commissioning editor Daisy Watt acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Dorie Simmonds at Dorie Simmonds Agency Ltd for publication in January 2025. In North America, Kensington will publish The Resurrectionist as a lead title.  

The Resurrectionist intertwines elements of dark academia, true crime and queer romance, and follows a young medical student who is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching in 19th-century Edinburgh and unexpectedly falls in love.  

Watt said: “The Resurrectionist dug me out of a reading slump and cut cleanly to my heart. A Rae Dunlap is an exquisite new voice in fiction, and this decadently macabre debut deserves to be unearthed and savoured by readers everywhere.” 

Dunlap added: “I’m delighted that The Resurrectionist has found its UK home with HarperNorth. The setting of this story is so foundational to its impact, and I’m honoured to be working with Daisy and team to bring The Resurrectionist to life.”