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Canongate is to publish Winchelsea, a work of fiction based a number of historical figures, by Alex Preston.
The novel is set in the 18th century and follows the life of Goody Brown, a young woman adopted as a baby by a doctor and his wife living in the Sussex town of Winchelsea. The synopsis explains: "When her father is murdered by a gang of smugglers, Goody swears revenge and sets out, with her adoptive brother Francis, to join a rival gang and make her father’s killers pay.
"But the wild freedom, adventure and danger of a smuggler’s life opens a door to a whole new world of possibilities for Goody, and her quest becomes about more than just settling a score."
Goody Brown’s character is inspired by a number of historical figures, including Hannah Snell, who disguised herself as a man for two years to become the first woman to the Royal Marines in the 1750s, and Anne Bonny, an Irish pirate. The world Brown inhabits, of smugglers and pirates, is drawn from the real-life exploits of the Hawkhurst Gang and their reign over Winchelsea, Rye and the Weald.
Commissioning editor Jo Dingley acquired world rights from Karolina Sutton at Curtis Brown. Canongate will publish as a lead hardback in February 2022.
Preston has written three novels for Faber & Faber (This Bleeding City, The Revelations and In Love and War), as well as a book of non-fiction, As Kingfishers Catch Fire. He writes regularly for the Telegraph, Economist and Harper’s Bazaar. He also reviews books for the Observer’s New Review, FT and Spectator, and is the co-founder of the Corfu Literary Festival and a patron of Oxford Literary Festival.
He said: "I'm delighted to be joining Canongate for the publication of Winchelsea; I was bowled over by their enthusiasm for the novel and their characteristically brilliant vision for publishing it. I can't wait to work with Jo and her team."