'Intense' debut from 'Mad Men' creator to Canongate

Canongate has acquired Heather, The Totality, the debut novel by Matthew Weiner, writer and creator of "Mad Men" and executive producer of "The Sopranos".

Francis Bickmore, publishing director at Canongate, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Luke Ingram at the Wylie Agency in a pre-emptive offer.

Bickmore said: "Weiner’s modern morality tale is a book of profound power, an intense novel about the pressures of family and society in the 21st Century. It goes off like a stick of dynamite. And, as anyone who has enjoyed his storytelling on screen knows, Weiner is a master of brilliantly-observed character. Publication is sure to be one of the events of the year across the worlds of literature and the entertainment."

Weiner said: “As someone to whom literature has always been essential, the only thing better than the experience of writing Heather, The Totality is having it published by Canongate. I can't imagine a more exciting way to begin this part of my writing life.”

Translation rights have been sold thus far to Planeta in Brazil, Empúries in Catalonia, Rosinante in Denmark, Gallimard in France, Rowohlt in Germany, Einaudi in Italy, De Bezige Bij in the Netherlands, Cappelen Damm in Norway, Seix Barral in Spain, and Little, Brown and Company in the US.

A "landmark" publication is planned for autumn 2017.