Renegade snaps up 'irresistible' historical novel

Renegade has snapped up Feast, an "irresistible" new debut novel by artist and chocolate-taster Catherine Kurtz.

Publisher of Renegade Books acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada (non-exclusive Europe), as well as translation and audio rights, from Abi Fellows, literary agent at DHH Literary Agency. Feast is scheduled for publication in March 2026.

"A historical novel set in 19th-century France, at the turn of the century, Feast tells the story of Minha – a young woman born with a remarkable gift: an extraordinary sense of taste," the synopsis says. "As official poison-taster for Duc Nicholas, she lives in the shadows of the Duc’s chateau, confined to her tasting room; not a morsel of food will pass through his lips unless she has tasted it. She is meant to be there to protect him – but danger is just around the corner… is her gift a blessing or a curse?"

Christina Demosthenous, commercial publisher at Renegade, said: "In Feast we have an irresistible hook... Minha has an extraordinary sense of taste; she can taste the earth in which potatoes are grown or the tree on which fruits are ripened. Catherine writes so vividly, and with such beauty. You feel like you’re feasting on every single page. This novel is a love letter to food and culinary writing, but we also have a powerful activist heart to the story."

Kurtz added: "We should not have cause to ask: what does the world do to our wonderful vibrant girls? What does it make of diversity and difference? But we do. So, we must."