Solaris signs ‘haunting’ literary sci-fi novel by Wilson

Solaris has acquired We Are All Ghosts in the Forest by Lorraine Wilson, described as “haunting” literary sci-fi by the publisher.

UK and Commonwealth excluding Canada rights were acquired by Amanda Rutter from Robbie Guillory at the Underline Literary Agency, with publication scheduled for November 2024.

The synopsis reads: “The internet is dead and its ghosts haunt us all. In a world without electronics and barely any politics, photojournalist Katerina flees to her grandmother’s village and a life of herbal medicine and beekeeping. When a wordless young boy is mysteriously entrusted into her care and rumours of harvest failure and a rampant digital disease start to swirl, they must escape into the dubious safety of the forest amid accusations of witchcraft to search for the truth behind the disease.”

Wilson, a conservation scientist, has a PhD from the University of St Andrews but left academia and turned to writing due to disabling illness. Her debut novel, the dystopian thriller This Is Our Undoing (Luna Press Publishing), was shortlisted for the Kavya Prize and the British Fantasy Society Awards for Best Novel & Best Newcomer, longlisted for the British Science Fiction Awards and won the the 2022 SCKA prize for Best Debut. She runs the Rewriting The Margins mentorship scheme for marginalised writers.

She said: “I am truly delighted to be joining Solaris — they work with an amazing array of authors and are doing really exciting things across speculative fiction, so it will be an honour to become part of that. Amanda is a fantastic champion to have for my books and I know they are in the best possible hands with her. I have to confess I absolutely adore the characters and world in We Are All Ghosts In The Forest, so I cannot wait to see this story come to life under Solaris’ care, and to then be able to share it with readers. I feel like Orlando and Stefan are going to steal some hearts!”

Rutter said: “From the moment I started We Are All Ghosts in the Forest, I knew I was reading something special – it haunted me every time I wasn’t able to read it, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it. The beauty of the prose drew me in first, and then the warmth and hope of the character relationships had me all-in. I’ve been aware of Lorraine’s work for a while, and was thrilled to realise that this novel was just as special as what I had seen before, with themes of loss, love and belonging. I am delighted to welcome Lorraine to Solaris and can’t wait to bring We Are All Ghosts in the Forest to the reading public.”