Picador nabs 'charming' second novel by Japanese author Natsukawa

Picador has nabbed The Cat Who Saved the Library, the "charming" second novel in Japanese novelist Sosuke Natsukawa’s The Cat Who series (Picador).

Editorial director Andrea Henry acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Marina Penalva at Casanovas & Lynch, on behalf of Emily Chuang at Emily Books, for publication in hardback in spring 2025. The series is translated by Louise Heal Kawai.

"Thirteen-year-old Nanami Kosaki loves books," the synopsis says. "A chronic asthmatic forced to spend most of her time indoors, the local library she has been visiting ever since she was a little girl is a home from home and books have become her best friends. When Nanami notices lots of books disappearing from the shelves, she’s particularly curious about the suspicious man in a grey suit whose furtive behaviour doesn’t feel right […] Will Nanami and Tiger overcome the challenges of the dangerous adventure ahead?"

Henry said: "Sosuke Natsukawa’s first book for Picador, The Cat Who Saved Books, has performed brilliantly for us both at home and in export, and we’re excited to have secured book two in what will be a three-book series. The Cat Who Saved the Library sees the return of Tiger, the talking tabby cat, plus the hero of book one, Rintaro. Add a pertinent narrative about restrictions on people’s free access to books, and it’s a winning combination. We’re delighted to be working with Mr Natsukawa again."

Natsukawa added: "Books not only provide us with knowledge, excitement and sensation, but also allow us to give birth to the imagination, and – by exploring how we live through all kinds of stories – to care about others. In the current world, with its numerous chaotic and conflicting injustices, what we need in order to better understand one another is just a small amount of imagination, rather than aggressive speeches, billions in cash or missiles.

"I truly hope that this book from a tiny island country will enable that warm imagination to develop in as many people as possible."