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Simon & Schuster US's new literary imprint Scout Press has snapped up North American rights to Catherine Burns' debut novel The Visitors, publishing in the UK with independent publisher Legend Press.
Simon & Schuster’s executive editor Alison Callahan acquired North Amercian rights through David Forrer at Inkwell Management for an undisclosed sum. The novel will be published simultaneously by Legend Press and Simon & Schuster in Winter 2018.
The novel was inspired by high profile cases of abduction and imprisonment and explores "the gruesome realities lurking beneath the most serene of surfaces". It follows a spinster who must confront the horror that her brother has kept under lock and key in the basement of their crumbling mansion.
Lauren Parsons, commissioning editor of Legend Press, said: "We are delighted to be working simultaneously with Simon & Schuster on this enthralling debut. Catherine is a hugely talented author, and we knew when we first read it that this novel was really something special."
David Forrer from Inkwell Management added: "InkWell values its long-term relationships with our overseas publishing partners, and we’re delighted to making a strong start with Legend Press and The Visitors."
Burns was born and raised in Cambridge and then worked as a bond trader in the City of London for six years. She went on to study for an MA at the Moscow institute of film for two years and taught film theory at Salford University.