Northodox Press snaps up 'compelling' debut novel from Hampshire

Northodox Press has snapped up the debut novel from Angharad Hampshire entitled The Mare.

UK print rights were acquired directly from the author by publishing director James Keane. The bks Agency holds translation, US and Canada and audio rights. The novel is scheduled for publication in September 2024.

The Mare is based on the true story of a female concentration camp guard, Hermine Braunsteiner, "who was nicknamed ’The Mare’ in the camps because she kicked people to death".

The publisher continued: "After the war, she met American engineer Russell Ryan holidaying in Austria but did not tell him her past. They fell in love, married and moved to New York, where she lived a quiet life as a suburban housewife – until her discovery by renowned Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. Hermine became the first person to be extradited from the United States for Nazi war crimes."

Keane commented: “Angharad’s beautifully written and deeply compelling story is rich in historical detail and has a highly original take. The novel asks some difficult ethical questions that are especially relevant in today’s global political climate.”

Hampshire added: “From the first time I read about Hermine Braunsteiner, I could not stop thinking about her and the complex moral issues her life and relationship with Russell Ryan raise. My novel covers challenging subject matter and asks uncomfortable questions. I needed a publisher brave enough to take that on. I found just that in Northodox Press.”