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Phoenix has signed The Broken Places by Russell Franklin, a “moving and illuminating” debut novel inspired by the life of Ernest Hemingway’s child.
Publisher Francesca Main acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from John Ash at PEW for publication on 8th June 2023.
The synopsis reads: “In 1931, Gregory Hemingway’s life begins in Kansas City, Missouri. The third and favourite son of an overbearing father, Greg is a paragon: a star athlete, a crack shot, bright and handsome and built like a pocket battleship.
“In 2001, Gloria Hemingway’s life ends in a Miami women’s correctional institution. Enduring heartache, disapproval and countless electroshock treatments, their existence has been a miracle.
“Inspired by true events and spanning seventy years of the last century, this is the story of a single, extraordinary life. Transporting the reader back and forth in time, from Cuba to New York and Montana to Florida, it explores what it means to grow up in the shadow of a man famous for his masculinity, to bear the weight of expectation and a tragic family legacy, and to finally step out into the light.”
Franklin was born in Solihull, and now lives and works in London. He was selected for the London Library Emerging Writers Programme 2020-2021. He said: “It’s a huge honour to be published by Phoenix and Francesca. Ever since I stumbled across the name Gregory Hemingway and saw how overlooked and mocked they were during their life and after, I knew I wanted to tell their story. I hope my book does some small justice to the courage and complexity of their incredible life.”
Francesca Main said: “This novel opened my eyes and broke my heart. Luminous and transporting, it takes a relatively unknown and misunderstood historical figure and tells their story with deep compassion, while shedding new light on one of the world’s most famous literary families. Russell Franklin is a gifted writer and I’m proud to be launching his debut.”
Franklin will be appearing at the sold out Phoenix Book Proof Party at Cheltenham Literature Festival on 10th October 2022.