You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
W F Howes has acquired the audio rights for Jenny Erpenbeck’s International Booker Prize-winning novel Kairos (Granta), translated by Michael Hofmann, which will be published on 1st August 2024, as well as two other books from this year’s shortlist.
Acquisitions editor Kay Farrell bought UK and Commonwealth audio rights from Isabella Depiazzi, senior rights and acquisitions manager at Granta. In addition to Kairos, Farrell acquired UK and Commonwealth audio rights in Hwang Sok-yong’s Mater 2-10 (Scribe UK), translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae, from Laura Susijn at the Susijn Agency Ltd. and World English language rights in Jente Posthuma’s What I’d Rather Not Think About, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey (Scribe UK), from Alice Richardson, rights and contracts manager at Scribe.
"Set in East Berlin in 1986, against the backdrop of a seismic period in European history, Kairos is an intimate and devastating story following the path of two lovers through the ruins of a relationship," the synopsis says. The audiobook will be voiced by opera singer Lisa Flanagan, who has voiced over 300 audiobooks.
"Kairos is a spectacular novel that is completely worthy of all the praise it has received, not to mention its Booker International triumph, and we can’t wait to listen to how Jenny’s intense and pulsating narrative and absorbing characters translate to audio," Farrell said. "This audiobook is a milestone acquisition for us, and we’re delighted to have such important, celebrated, award-winning works of fiction in our list."