Borough Press makes play for Natalie Rose Richardson's debut in two-book deal

The Borough Press has scooped Natalie Rose Richardson’s debut in a "major" two-book deal, sparking a nine-way auction in the US. Ann Bissell, deputy publishing director for The Borough Press pre-empted for UK & Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to This Is An Actual Tragedy in a deal struck with Peggy Boulos Smith at Writers House, on behalf of Alexa Stark.

In the US, Maris Dyer, editor at Knopf, PRH, won a nine-way auction for rights. In Germany, rights were sold to Blessing in a pre-empt by Bastian Schlueck at Thomas Schlueck Agency, on behalf of Maja Nikolic at Writers House.

Richardson said she was "ecstatic" to work with Ann and the rest of the team at Borough, adding: "[Their] understanding and enthusiasm for the book is unmatched. It’s a dream come true for any debut writer to simply publish her book; for me, it’s an actual honour that my book will find readers on both sides of the pond. I couldn’t be more excited or grateful."

The book follows four unlikely friends when they meet as college first-years in the University of Chicago’s token "Scholars of Color" orientation programme, but only three of them will survive to graduation. The novel is told in four parts, diving into the life of each protagonist during one year of college. Their relationships with each other and themselves are tested, as they face their own individual trials.

And when they come together in their fourth year to participate in Scav, an infamous, highly secretive campus game, they set in motion the "actual tragedy" at the heart of the book, the devastating consequences of which will mark the survivors – and the novel’s readers – forever.

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