Viking pre-empts Eden McKenzie-Goddard’s ‘immersive’ debut novel

Viking has signed Eden McKenzie-Goddard’s “immersive and spirited” debut novel, Smallie. 

Publisher Isabel Wall pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights from Rory Clarke at Andrew Nurnberg Associates for publication in 2026. 

Set between 1950s Barbados and 2010s London, Smallie follows three generations of a Bajan-British family affected by the Windrush scandal. The story follows Lucinda Brown, who leaves Barbados for London in 1956 in search of her past love, Clarence Braithwaite, a jazz musician who left the island to join the British Army. When she arrives in London, Lucinda finds Clarence aged by London and his years at war. Sixty years later, Lucinda receives a letter threatening to deport her and it’s up to her family to prove her legal arrival, and to do that they must find a man their mother once loved, known only by the name of Raldo.

Wall said: “Smallie is as emotionally compelling as it is socially apposite, written in deft, poetic prose. Eden McKenzie-Goddard masterfully entwines the personal with the political, offering readers a deeply human perspective on a national crisis, balancing a fiery core of anger at the Windrush injustice with warmth and a generosity of spirit. Energetic and open-hearted, I cannot wait to share this debut novel with readers.”

McKenzie-Goddard added: “Smallie was born out of anxiety during a time where home was a question for many. So for this novel to find a residence at Viking is beyond comprehension. I am grateful to Isabel, Toye, Rory and the Viking team for their passion and support in sharing this story with wider audiences.”