Unbound to publish Jonathan Coe fable

Crowdfunding platform Unbound is launching The Broken Mirror, a collaboration between award-winning and bestselling English novelist Jonathan Coe and the Italian artist Chiara Coccorese.

Unbound will publish the first English edition of the book, after it originally published in Italian in 2012. Coe first had the idea for it in his twenties, but was said to have "struggled to find the right form in which to tell it" until an exhibition of Chiara’s paintings "finally unlocked the story".

The Broken Mirror is a fable, written to appeal to both adults and children, that traces protagonist Claire's journey from childhood to adulthood and shows "how it is our imaginations that really shape our lives".

Coe, who published his 11th novel, Number 11, with Viking in November 2015, said: “I’m delighted to be working with Unbound. The look and feel of this book is integral to its appeal, and the team at Unbound are committed to fulfilling my original vision for it. That’s a happy thing for any author.”

Publisher at Unbound John Mitchinson said: “This is an exciting moment for us. When we started Unbound and were making lists of authors we most wanted to work with, Jonathan Coe was at the top of the list. The Broken Mirror is a small masterpiece. Written with the simplicity and directness of a Hans Christian Andersen fable, it reminds us that growing up is less about what we see, and more about what we allow ourselves to imagine.”

Unbound, founded in 2011, is a publisher that uses a crowd-funding platform. The Broken Mirror is so far 8% funded with at least 527 more pledges needed. All supporters of the book are promised their name will be included in every edition of the finished product. Pledges can be made here.