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Watkins snags Mercury Award-winning rapper Speech Debelle's memoir
Watkins Media has snagged Mercury Award-winning rapper Speech Debelle’s memoir. Watkins senior commissioning editor Ella Chappell has acquired world English language rights excluding audio to Debelle’s memoir and practical fishing guide, provisionally titled Black Fish: How to Fish, and Other Lessons in Patience, Community and Joy.
Chappell brokered the acquisition with Crystal Mahey-Morgan of OWN IT! literary film and television agency. The book will be published globally by Watkins in May 2026 and will be distributed by Watkins in the UK and by Penguin Random House Publishers Services in all other English language territories.
The publisher explained that in the book, Debelle "uses fishing as a powerful allegory for navigating life’s challenges and triumphs", adding that it’s the perfect title "for both seasoned anglers and curious novices", and "inspires readers to find patience, resilience and joy in every cast–whether that be in their next catch or in their life’s journey".
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Chappell said: "I am utterly thrilled and incredibly honoured to add such a brilliant creative to Watkins’ 2026 list. Speech’s founding of the Black fishing community, We Are Black Fish, offers a safe space for people to come together to celebrate their ancestral history with the water. This in turn has inspired her to record her eclectic experiences and life lessons through her passion for fishing in this lyrical memoir-plus. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to read her tremendous and moving memoir... and feel as inspired to go fishing as I am!"
Debelle said: "It’s with great excitement that I get to share this memoir, which is a profound experience for me as a rapper. Although the written word is the very seed of each of my songs, there isn’t the voice or the colours of the music to move with, and there is absolute frisson that comes with that! It offers a subtle vulnerability that I hope invites readers to join me on a journey of patience, community and self-discovery. Learning to fish has brought me closer to myself and the We Are Black Fish community allows me to fish, catch and cook with those who are called to be by the water as well."
