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Harvill wins romcom by Vogue dating columnist Annie Lord in six-way auction
Harvill has acquired The Project, Vogue dating columnist Annie Lord’s debut novel, in a six-way auction.
Senior commissioning editor Ellie Steel acquired UK Commonwealth rights from Florence Rees at AM Heath, with publication scheduled for summer 2026.
North American rights were sold at auction to Andrea Walker at Harper. German rights were won in a four-way auction by pola (Bastei Lübbe) and Italian rights were sold to Mondadori in an exclusive deal.
The synopsis reads: “When Daisy wakes up next to James – the annoying, awkward guy in their friendship group – she can’t believe what she has done. The problem is there are no good men left. At least, that’s what Daisy and her best friend Maya think. They’re all taken. Even the average ones have beautiful, seemingly perfect girlfriends.
“Fed up with modern dating, Daisy and Maya decide to start ‘The Project’ to create a good guy out of some frankly embarrassing raw material. And who better to start with than James, the man who once told her he’s never cried in his entire life and sounded proud of that fact? Embarking on a series of lessons, from pretentious art exhibitions to feminist book clubs, clothes shopping trips and messy house parties, Daisy takes James on a journey of discovery. But which one of them will change more?”
Lord, whose memoir Notes on Heartbreak, was published by Trapeze in 2022, said: “I usually feel quite alienated by romcoms, but I think I have written something that will make single women everywhere feel very seen. Weirdly, I feel you can be more honest in fiction than memoir. I am so excited to be working with Ellie and the rest of the Harvill team. I was so moved by the effort they went to to acquire the book and all their ideas about it, and the publicity campaign is so amazing, that I can’t wait.”
Steel said: “Annie has written a decade-defining romantic comedy. An ingenious contemporary spin on your favourite 90s classics, The Project hits all the glorious highs of romance with the most loveable, relatable cast of characters – the perfect will-they-won’t-they couple, the annoyingly attractive hopeless crush, the friendships, the parties, the makeovers. It’s also a deeply honest book about the exasperations of modern dating. The Project is pure pleasure: so smart and funny and full of heart.”
