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Orion inks flurry of deals
Orion has inked a flurry of deals, acquiring “a hilarious and heartwarming” début by Caroline Hulse at auction and a collection of short stories from Man Booker shortlistee Emily Fridlund.
It is also publishing a new book by radio presenter Fearne Cotton in December called Calm.
Emad Akhtar, publishing director at Orion Fiction, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Adults by Hulse [pictured above] in a two-book deal, struck with Caroline Hardman at Hardman & Swainson. It is the story of two divorcees’ attempt at a “normal” family holiday.
US rights were pre-empted within 48 hours of submission by Andrea Walker at Random House, with French rights (Fleuve), Dutch rights (A W Bruna) and Serbian rights (Evro) all pre-empted. Italian rights went to Mondadori at auction, while the German auction was won by Aufbau Verlag.
The deal for Fridlund’s Catapult was sealed by W&N fiction publisher Kirsty Dunseath, who bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Sarah Gorham, president and editor-in-chief at Sarabande. Fridlund’s début History of Wolves (W&N) is on this year’s Man Booker shortlist.
Orion commissioning editor Marcus Gipps has signed world rights to a “startlingly visionary novel” called Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart. Fantasy author Steven Erikson’s title was signed from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein, acting on behalf of Howard Morhaim of the Morhaim Literary Agency.
Orion Fiction and Hachette ANZ also acquired world rights (all languages) to Live Your Dream of Italy and Tiny Little Pieces of Us, both by Nicky Pellegrino, from Caroline Sheldon at the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.
The publisher has signed a number of titles on the topic of anxiety, including world rights to Cotton’s Calm - which is about letting go of stress and “searching for a happy centre” - from Rowan Lawton at Furniss Lawton. It also secured UK and Commonwealth rights, from Siobhan O’Neill at WME, to How to Break Up with Your Phone, a “practical guide to conquering phone addiction” by journalist Catherine Price.
