Hodder triumphs in seven-way auction for Chan’s ‘utterly illuminating’ debut

Hodder & Stoughton has triumphed in a seven-publisher auction for Vanessa Chan’s debut novel, The Storm We Made.

Lily Cooper, commissioning editor at Hodder, bought UK & Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Nicola Chang at David Higham Associates. It will publish in hardback, e-book and audiobook in January 2024.

Following an 11-way auction in the US, the novel was bought in a major deal by Marysue Rucci at Simon & Schuster, as well as selling after auctions in Italy (Mondadori), France (Harper France), The Netherlands (Uitgeverij Prometheus), Sweden (Forum), Brazil (Paralela/Companhia das Letras), Hungary (Szazad) and Greece (Psichogios).

Pre-empts have been accepted in Germany (Ecco Verlag), Spain (Salamandra), Poland (Marginesy), Romania (Trei) and Lithuania (Baltos Lankos). Rights have also been sold in Croatia (Znanje), the Czech Republic (Host), and Portugal (Presença).

The story opens in 1930s British Malaya as discontented housewife Cecily is beckoned into a life of espionage by a charismatic Japanese spy. But when Cecily becomes entrenched in his ideology, and ultimately his domestic life, she helps to usher in a new and even more brutal era of Japanese colonisation. 

Cecily is forced to reckon with these choices and the secrets they create when, a decade later, in the thick of World War II, the shocking repercussions of that decision come to haunt her community—and her family.

The publisher continues: “The Storm We Made spans years of pain and triumph, unflinchingly illuminating an under-explored part of Second World War and colonial history."

Chan, who was born and raised in Malaysia and whose short fiction has received accolades and publication in places such as Electric Lit and Kenyon Review, said: “I am delighted that The Storm We Made has found a home with Hodder & Stoughton who not only understand my vision for this novel but also seek to champion the stories of untold histories across the world. The only way to learn from history is if that history is brought to light and I cannot wait to partner with Lily Cooper to bring this story to the UK and beyond.”

Cooper added: “Heartbreaking, page-turning and utterly illuminating, The Storm We Made has the feeling of an instant classic, a book set to be recommended and discussed endlessly for years to come. We are overjoyed to welcome Vanessa to the Hodder list and look forward to creating an unmissable campaign to introduce her to our readers as a major new talent."