Jonathan Cape snaps up Westerbeke’s 'irresistible' literary speculative debut

Jonathan Cape has snapped up Douglas Westerbeke’s “irresistible” literary speculative debut novel, A Short Walk Through a Wide World.

Senior commissioning editor Alex Russell pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Alice Lutyens at Curtis Brown. North American rights were pre-empted by Margo Shickmanter at Avid Reader Press. Cape will publish in July 2024.

The novel charts the adventures of one woman as she journeys across the globe trying to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving. “From the scorched dunes of the Calanshio Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry Tourvel as she learns what it takes to survive and, ultimately, to truly live,” the publisher said.

Westerbeke is an American screenwriter and works at one of the largest libraries in the US. He has spent the last decade on the local panel of the International Dublin Literary Award, which inspired him to write his own book.

Russell said: “We are all over the moon that Doug is joining us with A Short Walk Through a Wide World. He is an astonishing storyteller, and this is an irresistible, utterly transporting novel. Aubry Tourvel is one of a kind and we can’t wait for readers to join her adventure next summer.”

Westerbeke added: “I am grateful to Jonathan Cape for their belief in my work and for providing me the opportunity to share this story across the British Isles. If not everyone is ready to raft the Amazon or climb the Himalayas, then perhaps they’d be willing to let Aubry Tourvel do it in their stead. She’s quite a character – and most importantly, a terrific guide to the big wide world out there.”