Orbit signs Cathrall’s ‘sublime’ fantasy debut A Letter to the Luminous Deep

Orbit has acquired Sylvie Cathrall’s debut fantasy A Letter to the Luminous Deep, described as a “whimsical epistolary fantasy set in a mystical underwater world with mystery and heart-warming romance".

Nadia Saward, commissioning editor, bought world rights from Natasha Mihell at The Rights Factory. Priyanka Krishnan, senior editor, acquired for Orbit US. Publication in the UK and US is planned for spring 2024.

Saward said she “knew from the first paragraph” she needed to acquire this book, adding that “the gorgeous underwater setting is unlike anything else I’ve seen in fantasy". “The epistolary romance between the two main characters, a brilliant but reclusive young woman and a renowned scholar, will break your heart and put it back together again,” she said.

Cathrall added: “Like a letter sent by chance to the perfect recipient, my epistolary fantasy found its ideal match in the Orbit team. I’m grateful for the opportunity to unlock the sunken archive that is A Letter to the Luminous Deep and share this curious correspondence with readers.”

Mihell said the joy that infuses the book is “sublime and propulsive", describing the prose as “handled with extraordinary grace".

She said: “It is a story that will leave you with a deep trust in the beauty of life. Cathrall reminds us that, though we may sometimes feel disillusioned by our circumstances, we are all of us entitled to our own magical adventure. And we can own every aspect of ourselves, every step of the way.”