Salt signs two-book deal with author Michael Arditti

Salt has snapped up two new books by author Michael Arditti.

Director Christopher Hamilton-Emery acquired world rights from the author directly. A short story collection, The Mellow Madam and Other Stories, will be published as a Paperback Original on 11th August 2025, while a new novel, The Tribe, will be published on 9th March 2026.

The synopsis for the The Mellow Madam states: "From an elderly prostitute caught in a tabloid sting, through the Queen Bee of an amateur dramatic society upstaged by her cleaner, to a GP’s wife confronting her husband’s online history, 10 ordinary yet extraordinary women are brilliantly brought to life. By turns, humorous and poignant, penetrating and provocative, these captivating stories make for compelling reading."

The synopsis for the author’s new novel adds: "The Tribe crosses cultures and continents in its exploration of race, religion, nation and empire. Epic in scope yet intimate in detail, it is at once a family history and a portrait of a family in history. It chronicles a powerful Sephardic dynasty in the cosmopolitan city of Salonica during the dying days of the Ottoman Empire, through the Nazi Occupation of France, to the early 1960s, when the survivors and their children confront their past, with long hidden secrets uncovered and deep-seated conflicts exposed."

Arditti said: "After a brief foray into the world of corporate publishing, I am delighted to return to that of independent publishing, which has been the cornerstone of my career. I am honoured to join the many distinguished authors on the Salt list and most grateful to Chris Hamilton-Emery and his team for their warm and enthusiastic welcome."

Hamilton-Emery added: "Michael has an extraordinary catalogue of inquisitive, vibrant and much-loved fiction that has gathered a wide and committed readership – the new stories are diverse and emotionally-resonant, and the novel, The Tribe, is perhaps Michael’s most personal, dealing with a branch of his own family – a sweeping dynastic saga that addresses major events in modern European history – it is quite exceptional."