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More rights deals have been announced on the second day of London Book Fair, including a title by Book Depository m.d. Kieron Smith and more from Sookie Stackhouse author Charlaine Harris.
Two music biz deals just announced are the "unexpurgated, brain-jangling" memoirs of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, for HarperCollins, and a pictorial life of Beatles guitarist George Harrison for Abrams.
Hodder has acquired world English rights to a standalone horror novel by Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurdardottir. Editorial director Suzie Doore bought the rights to Blessed are the Children through Petur Mar Olafsson at Bjartur & Verold, with plans to publish in trade paperback for Halloween 2012. The title tells of three friends, terrorised by the ghost of a drowned child while they renovate a derelict house.
Arcadia's Gary Pulsifer has made several deals during day one of the fair. He bought UK and Commonwealth rights to Strawberry Fields Forever by Richard Zimmler from Cynthia Cannell of the Cynthia Cannell Literary Agency. Published in 2012, the young adult novel is about a immigrant gay Brazilian's life in America.
Pulsifer also bought world rights to The Personal Notebook of Miracles by Jose Eduardo Agualusa from Nicole Witt on behalf of the Mertin Agency. Scheduled for autumn 2012 publication, the book is described as a "journey of history of the Portuguese language".
World rights for two crime novels were also bought for Arcadia's Eurocrime series. Cold Hearts by Gunnar Staalesen will be published in autumn 2012. The thriller is about a series of murders in the Norwegian city of Bergen. The other crime book is The Iron Chamber by Matti Joensuu, bought from Hanna Kjellberg from the Otava Agency. The book is about a series of mysterious set of murders in Finland. It will be published in autumn 2012.
Meanwhile, HarperCollins has acquired the story of a Swedish adventurer who died attempting to reach the North Pole by hot air balloon. Publisher Robin Harvie acquired UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada to The Ice Balloon: S A Andree and the Heroic Age of Polar Exploration from James Pullen at the Wylie Agency. To be published in spring 2012, the title will follow the late-19th century race to the North and South Poles. Andree's headless body was discovered 30 years later along with a journal and film of photographs.
Fourth Estate non-fiction publisher Louise Haines has bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Robert Kirby at United Agents to “debunking” title The Diet Trap: Why Diets Don't Work and What Does, by Dr John Briffa, a leading authority in the UK on the impact of nutrition on health.
Haines also acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein, in The New IQ: Working Memory in the Information Age, by British husband and wife team, Tracy and Ross Alloway.
Haines also has world rights to chef Giorgio Locatelli's new book, Made in Sicily, which is the follow-up to his 2006 book, Made in Italy. Alice Saunders of Lucas, Alexander, Whitley handled the deal.
Hamish Hamilton has bought world rights to a book that explores the impact of design on our lives and looks at questions such as why Apple's products are so loved and why no one can properly design a TV remote control.
Publishing director Simon Prosser bought rights from Derek Johns at A P Watt to the book by Alice Rawsthorn, design critic of the International Herald Tribune. Provisionally titled On Design, the book also looks at how design can help us understand and cope with changes that are being made to our world. The book will be published in autumn 2012.
Prosser said: "I have been reading Alice's columns in the IHT for years now and love the way she brings the excitement of good design and the challenges of designers to life through her writing. No one communicates as well the pleasure we can get from good design or the importance of it to a happier, fairer world."
Rawsthorn said: "Design already affects our lives in so many ways, often without our noticing, and will be even more influential in future. I hope this book will help everyone to understand the power of design to change our lives for better‚ and for worse‚ and to enjoy the excitement of design innovation."
Chatto's Poppy Hampson has bought the rights to Temple Fortune by Francesca Segal through Zoe Waldie at Rogers, Coleridge & White. The book is a modern "recasting" of The Age of Innocence. Chatto will publish in spring 2012.
Sookie Stackhouse author Charlaine Harris has signed a deal with Quercus for a new three-part graphic novel series. Jo Fletcher bought UK and Commonwealth rights, including Australia and New Zealand but excluding Canada, from John Parker at the Zeno Literary Agency for an undisclosed sum. Cemetery Girl will be co-written by Christopher Golden.
Book Depository m.d. Kieron Smith has written a title based on his daughter's learning disability. Zero Books has world rights for The Politics of Down's Syndrome, which explores whether an attitude of "them and us" exists towards disabled people in society. It will be published on 30th September.
Little, Brown has acquired a novel by Ghosting author Jennie Erdal. Managing director of Little, Brown/Abacus Richard Beswick bought world rights through Jenny Brown Associates to The Missing Shade of Blue. It is about a young translator in Edinburgh who becomes involved in the unravelling marriage of a philosopher and his wife.
Faber has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to a "unique fiction" by debut author Teju Cole. Publishing director fiction Lee Brackstone bought Open City and one other novel by Cole in a deal with Tracy Bohan at the Wylie Agency. Faber will publish in August.
Bloomsbury has acquired world rights in a series of six crime novels by Bath Literature Festival director James Runcie. Group editor-in-chief Alexandra Pringle scooped the series through David Godwin. The books will feature character Sidney Chambers, honorary canon of Ely Cathedral, as he works with friend Inspector Horatio Keating to unravel case after case. The first title, Grantchester Murders, will be published in May 2012.
And Biteback has bought the memoir of PC David Rathband, who was shot and blinded by Gateshead killer Raoul Moat last year. James Stephens bought world English-language rights from Humfrey Hunter of Hunter Profiles. It will be published in July.