Veldman’s 'absurd and wonderful’ debut goes to Head of Zeus

Head of Zeus has nabbed Hard Copy by Fien Veldman, an “incisive” debut novel about a woman who becomes obsessed with her office printer.

In her first acquisition for the Apollo Fiction list, assistant editor Sophie Whitehead bought world English language rights from Paul Sebes and Christiaan Boesenach at Sebes & Bisseling Literary Agency. The book will be published as a lead title on the Apollo list, in hardback and e-book, on 6th June 2024, with US publication to follow in September.

Recently published in the Netherlands by Atlas Contact, who pre-empted the novel overnight in 2022, German translation rights in Hard Copy have also sold in a “heated” six-way auction to Hanser.

The book tells the story of a customer service assistant who spends many hours printing letters. The synopsis says: “Her one friend is the printer and, in the dark confines of her office, she begins to open up to him, talking about her fears, her past, her hopes and dreams. To her, it seems like a beautiful friendship is blossoming.

"To her boss, it seems like she’s losing her mind. Diagnosed with burnout and placed on leave, she faces severance and – worse – separation from her beloved printer. But she’s not about to give up on her only friend without a fight. And, it turns out, neither is he.”

Whitehead commented: “Hard Copy is exactly what I’ve been looking to publish. Deceptively simple and delightfully strange, its offbeat premise gives way to a narrative that raises complex questions about how we live today – about class, work culture, and the machines that are increasingly becoming a part of our lives. It’s absurd and wonderful and completely unique.”

Sebes added: “I couldn’t be happier than Sophie publishing this lovely Dutch debut novel in English on the Apollo list. I love working with the Head of Zeus team and Sophie has been such an advocate for the book that I am sure she will make Hard Copy a success in the UK and US.”

The author is also a theatre critic and last year’s recipient of the Joost Zwagerman Essay-award for her essay ‘Not really making it’, about growing up in a working-class neighbourhood in Leeuwarden. She has also worked in customer service and, in 2018, she won the Elise Mathilde Essay Award for her essay ‘Borders, doors and eyes open’.

Veldman said: “I’m very excited Hard Copy will be published by Head of Zeus, and I think it has found a perfect home on the Apollo List.”