Vintage editor Lily Lindon's 'wild ride' debut goes to Head of Zeus

The debut novel of Vintage editor Lily Lindon has gone to Head of Zeus in a four-way auction, as part of a two-book deal. 

Publishing director for fiction Laura Palmer acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada in a “heated” four-way auction from Hellie Ogden at Janklow & Nesbit UK for Double Booked and a further title from Lily Lindon, debut novelist and Vintage editor. Double Booked will be published by Head of Zeus in May 2022 in hardback, e-book and audio. 

Lindon edits titles for Vintage Classics and hosts the "WIT LIT: the Funny Books Podcas‪t‬" which features publishing staffers, writers and comedians recommending funny books.

The debut is described as “a funny, fresh and extremely timely romantic comedy, starring Gina, a piano teacher in a stalled long-term relationship who has started to suspect she may be bisexual”.  

“What follows is a wild ride through the queer culture of London, as Gina becomes George, and embarks on a quest to explore her identity and expand her horizons,” the publisher said 

Palmer said: “It is rare to find a romantic comedy which is both extremely funny and takes the genre somewhere new. I read Double Booked in one sitting, laughed out loud a lot, and came away feeling warm and happy — and with a thumping crush on George’s love interest. This is a book to make the heart sing, and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to publish.” 

Lindon said: “I’m overjoyed by the love people have shown for Double Books and so excited and terrified for it to exist in the real world. I really hope all sorts of readers will see themselves in Georgina and her desperate quest to belong — or at least fancy some of her hot musician friends.” 

Ogden added: “I am forever searching for a new take on the romcom. Something fresh, hooky, exploring issues we don’t hear about enough, and with the perfect bittersweet voice to pull it together. Double Booked is exactly that and Lily is an extremely exciting new voice in commercial fiction.” 

Allison Hunter, literary agent at J&N US, will be handling American rights while J&N UK foreign rights director Zoe Nelson will manage translation rights.