PMJ acquires Kim Curran's The Morrigan

Penguin Michael Joseph (PMJ) has acquired The Morrigan by Kim Curran, “a fierce, voice-led novel based in Irish mythology”. 

In her first acquisition for the imprint, Ruth Atkins, senior editor, bought UK and Commonwealth rights in a two-book deal from Bea Fitzgerald at The Blair Partnership. It will be published in early 2025. 

The Morrigan is Ireland’s shape-shifting goddess of war and fury. "The Morrigan’s story has long been hidden behind tales of more well-known male heroes,” the publisher teased. “Now she reclaims her own legend, threading a thousand years of Irish myths into a compelling narrative brought vividly to life with haunting descriptions, and a riveting, electric voice.” 

Curran said: “I feel like I have been waiting my whole life to write The Morrigan, but it was only when the world was turned upside down during the pandemic that I finally found the courage. It’s beyond a dream to have found a home at Penguin Michael Joseph and to be working with an editor who is as obsessed with Irish epics as I am and an agent whose passion for mythology is world famous. Ruth and Bea, my gratitude is as endless as the Morrigan’s rage.” 

Atkins added: "I have long been looking for a rich, vivid epic to do for Irish mythology what authors like Madeleine Miller and Costanza Casati have done for Greek Myths, and The Morrigan screams to blazing, bloody life right from the very first page. The voice Kim has crafted is utterly unforgettable, bringing whispered myths of Irish gods and warriors out of dusty manuscripts and into their full voice, with a story that is as beautifully depicted as it is powerfully dark and rage-filled.” 

Curran was born in Dublin and grew up in London. She holds a degree in Philosophy and Literature from Sussex University and is a freelance creative director and Royal Literary Fund fellow. She has published six novels for young adults. The Morrigan is her debut adult novel.