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Bloomsbury is to publish the next title from Man Booker shortlisted author Patrick deWitt following a seven-way auction.
Alexa von Hirschberg, senior commissioning editor at Bloomsbury Publishing, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to French Exit from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein on behalf of Peter McGuigan at Foundry.
A "darkly comic" tragedy of manners, French Exit is about a wealthy widow, Frances Price, her adult son Malcolm, and their aging cat, Small Frank, who flee New York for Paris beset by scandal and impending bankruptcy.
Von Hirschberg said the title is a "compulsive, elegant and riotous send up of high society and a moving novel about mothers and sons". She added: "Patrick deWitt is one of the most brilliant and original writers of his generation and we are thrilled to be giving him a new home."
DeWitt said: "I'm so pleased to be working with Bloomsbury. It’s an honour to publish with such a passionate and tasteful team of people, and to share an imprint with the many brilliant authors on their roster."
DeWitt is the author of Ablutions, Undermajordomo Minor and the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted The Sisters Brothers (all published by Granta). The Sisters Brothers is being adapted for film by Jacques Audiard, director of "Rust and Bone" and "A Prophet", to star Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix, Riz Ahmed and John C. Reilly, for release in 2018.
French Exit will be published in autumn 2018.