Harvill Secker and Vintage US signs Beatriz Serrano's 'witty' debut in six-figure deal

Harvill Secker has signed Beatriz Serrano’s "witty" debut novel Discontent in a joint acquisition with Vintage US in a six-figure deal. 

Editor Kate Harvey and Morgan Hamilton, editor, Vintage US, acquired world English rights from Cristina Hidalgo at Grupo Planeta. 

Discontent is described as a "poignant examination of the human condition in the face of corporate monotony", following Marisa, a PR agent living in Madrid over the course of a week. The synopsis adds: "Numbing herself with tranquillisers and YouTube videos, Marisa finds solace in the mundane while grappling with the existential dread of corporate life." 

As the narrative builds toward a work team-building event, "Marisa’s carefully constructed façade begins to crack, exposing the underlying tensions and anxieties of contemporary working life." The novel offers a "fresh perspective on the struggles of contemporary living". 

Serrano graduated with a degree in journalism from Madrid Complutense University. She has since worked as journalist for publications such as BuzzFeed, Vanity Fair, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, SModa and Vogue. She currently works for El País and, along with writer Guillermo Alonso, co-directs the podcast "Arsenic Caviar", which won the Ondas Prize for best conversational podcast.