Penguin nets reimagining of Beauty and the Beast by Poranek in six-figure deal

Penguin has acquired the rights to Where the Dark Stands Still, a gothic YA fairytale romantasy title by debut author Ania Poranek, in a six-figure deal.

UK and Commonwealth rights were acquired for two books by Carmen McCullough, editorial director, from Catherine Cho at Paper Literary, on behalf of Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman. The deal was struck in collaboration with Karen Wojtyla, vice-president and editorial director at Margaret K McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, who bought North American rights. Both editions will publish simultaneously in spring 2024. 

Where the Dark Stands Still is a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast, which weaves dark fantasy and gothic romance with polish folklore.

The synopsis reads: “Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters. After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood – the Leszy – who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish. 

“Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska soon discovers the sinister roots of their bargain. And if she wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past. 

“Those who enter the wood do not always return…”

Poranek said: “I am so excited to be able to share this story with the world and to work with Carmen McCullough, Karen Wojtyla and the teams at Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. As a Polish girl who grew up in Canada, the stories of Polish folklore were something I knew from childhood memories of my grandparents’ bedtime stories. Writing this book allowed me to delve so much deeper into my culture and being able to share that with new readers is a dream come true.”  

McCullough added: “I could talk endlessly about this unique and powerful story that instantly captivated the whole team. I fell in love with Ania’s writing from the very first  page – from the moment Liska stepped into the woods to begin her strange magical journey. I was fascinated to learn about polish folklore, enthralled by the magic and completely swept up in the most breathtaking love story. This is a truly special book and Ania is an incredible new YA talent that we can’t wait to launch next year.” 

Poranek grew up in Canada but spent her summers in Poland. She now lives in Warsaw, where she studies veterinary medicine and spends her free time researching obscure mythologies.