News

Sittenfeld to re-imagine Austen for HarperFiction

08.02.12 | Lisa Campbell

American author Curtis Sittenfeld has been announced as the latest author to re-create a Jane Austen novel as part of a series re-imagining the eighteenth century novelist's work.

Sittenfeld, who has penned Prep, The Man of My Dreams and American Wife, will write her own contemporary version of Pride & Prejudice as part of a series of six novels teaming up authors of global literary significance with Jane Austen's six complete works.

HarperCollins publishing director Louisa Joyner acquired the UK & Commonwealth rights to the book from Cathryn Summerhayes on behalf of Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at WME and the book has a planned publication date of Autumn 2014.

Kate Elton, publisher of HarperFiction, said: "It's thrilling to be announcing Curtis Sittenfeld as the second confirmed novelist in this hugely exciting project. The idea of the Bennet girls as seen through Curtis' eyes is a real literary coup with huge commercial potential, and I'm delighted we're developing the series in such an original way."

Sittenfeld said she "fell in love" with Jane Austen and Lizzy Bennet as a 16-year-old, and added: "Although I plan to pay tribute to the humour, romance, and incisive class commentary of her work, I promise that I won't try to sound like her any more than I'll now adopt a British accent!"

Joanna Trollope is to publish Sense & Sensibility in Autumn 2013 to launch the series. Conversations are ongoing as to the other literary pairings and further announcements will follow.

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