Faber snaps up Booker Prize shortlistee Ben Markovits' new novel
Faber has extended its relationship with Booker Prize shortlistee Ben Markovits for a new novel to be released in 2027.
Publishing director Angus Cargill acquired UK, Commonwealth and translation rights to Starting Out from Georgia Garrett at RCW.
The title follows Lisa, a shy, bookish only child who arrives at college where she meets an ambitious fellow student. As their relationship develops, she finds herself navigating complex questions of happiness, sacrifice and agency.
Faber is also having rights success with Markovits’ The Rest of Our Lives, one of the six-strong 2025 Booker shortlist, with the winner to be announced on 10th November. The publisher sold German rights to Luchterhand in a pre-emptive two-book deal on the eve of Frankfurt Book Fair, while Polish (Czarne), Russian (Sindbad), Spanish (Chai Editora) and Turkish (Livera) deals have been sewn up. Multiple two-book offers are on the table in other territories including a five-way Italian auction currently being finalised, with offers also received from Slovenia, Croatia and Greece.
North American rights to Starting Out have been acquired by Laura Perciasepe at Summit via Barry Harbaugh at WLA, in a two-book deal along with The Rest of Our Lives.
Cargill said: "It’s thrilling to have this new novel from Ben at such an exciting point in his career. Another mesmerising character study, and a beautiful counterpoint to The Rest of Our Lives, Starting Out anatomises a formative relationship from its outset with elegance and deep humanity."
Texas-born, London-based Markovits was named in the Granta Best of Young British Novelists list in 2013 and has been published by Faber since his 2004 debut, The Syme Papers.
