Serpent’s Tail to publish Crosley’s memoir about the death of her closest friend

Serpent’s Tail has acquired Grief Is for People, Sloane Crosley’s new memoir about the death of her closest friend. 

Profile managing director Rebecca Gray acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Fiona Baird at WME UK, and Serpent’s Tail will publish the book on 29th February 2024.

Described as a "disarmingly witty and poignant memoir", the book explores loss and the suicide of Crosley’s friend. The synopsis says: "For most of her adult life, Sloane and Russell worked together and played together as they navigated office life and dramatic cultural shifts in New York City. One day, while Russell is still alive, Sloane’s apartment is broken into and the thief makes off with her prized possessions and sense of security, leaving a mystery in its place.

"When Russell dies exactly one month later, his suicide propels her on a wild quest to right the unrightable and to explore what constitutes family and possession as the city itself faces the staggering toll brought on by the pandemic."

Gray said: "I’ve read Sloane Crosley for 15 years—she is everything this reader wants in a writer. Wise and literary, funny and deep, she really knows how to tell a story. So when this memoir landed on my desk it was an irresistible opportunity.

"Since then, and in just a few weeks, I have watched it travel the company, picking up adoring fans along the way. If you love publishing you will love it, but it’s really a book for anyone who has ever loved a friend or lost a soulmate."

Crosley added: "To say that I’m excited that Grief Is for People has been acquired by Serpent’s Tail is a half truth. The other half is what any author would feel when surrounded by such immediate enthusiasm: calm. Calm, knowing that this personal story, both for me and for any readers grappling with grief, is in the hands of a remarkable team, at a house with a reputation for publishing original literary voices."