Trapeze's 'After Wife' sells in European pre-empts

Rights to Cass Hunter's high-concept love story The After Wife, publishing with Orion imprint Trapeze in April 2018, have sold in three deals across Europe. The book, about human and virtual relationships, was pre-empted by in Italy by Longanesi and by Goldmann Verlag in Germany. In France rights sold to J C. Lattes.

The book by Cass Hunter, the pen-name of author Rosie Fiore, is about a family who are given a second chance to reconnect with the woman they loved and lost by taking in a humanoid android she built before she died and which looks just like her.

Fabrizio Cocco, editor at Longanesi, who is publishing the book in Italy, said it "speaks to the mind and the heart" while Meike Behrmann, editor at Goldmann Verlag who is publishing the book in Germany, said its main character iRachel was wonderfully empathetic. "The After Wife is a perfect fit for our new Wunderraum list where we want to publish stories that go from your mind straight to the heart," Behrmann added.

According to Orion, its rights team is fielding strong interest from TV and film production companies. 

Sam Eades, editorial director at Trapeze, announced Trapeze's acquisition of world rights (all languages) to The After Wife in a deal struck by Caroline Hardman at Hardman & Swainson in January this year.