People & Publishing Roundup, September 2023
RICHARD BLEILER won the 2023 Munsey Award, given at Pulpfest to “an individual or organization that has bettered the pulp community.” Nominees were selected by the general pulp community, with the winner selected by a vote of past Lamont, Munsey, and Rusty Awards winners.
CARYL LEWIS’s Drift (Doubleday UK) was the Overall Winner at the Wales Book of the Year Award for English-language works, and also won the Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award, announced at a ceremony on July 13, 2023 in Cardiff, Wales. The Awards are held annually to celebrate “outstanding literary talent from Wales across many genres and in both English and Welsh.”
MARTIN MACINNES’s In Ascension (Atlantic) is one of 13 titles on the 2023 Booker Prize longlist. The £50,000 prize is “open to works by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK or Ireland.” The shortlist will be announced September 21, 2023, and the winner on November 26, 2023.
JYRKI VAINONEN’s Täytetyt (Aula & Co) won the 2023 Tähtifantasia Award, presented by the Helsinki Science Fiction Society for the best Finnish fantasy book published in the previous year.
NALO HOPKINSON sold an untitled short story collection to Jacob Weisman at Tachyon Publications via Donald Mass of Donald Maass Literary Agency. Jaymee Goh will edit.
SARAH BETH DURST sold “cozy romantasy” The Spellshop and a second book to Ali Fisher at Bramble in a pre-empt via Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger literary agency.
JOE R. LANSDALE sold two untitled horror collections to Jacob Weisman at Tachyon Publications via Danny Baror of Baror International. Rick Klaw will edit.
TOBIAS BUCKELL & DAVID KLECHA sold The Runes of Engagement to Jacob Weisman at Tachyon Publications via Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates.
VERONICA G. HENRY sold SF novel The People’s Library and a sequel to The Canopy Keepers to Adrienne Procaccini at 47North via Mary C. Moore of Kimberley Cameron & Associates.
H.A. CLARKE, writing as AUGUST CLARKE, sold industrial fantasy Metal from Heaven, darkly comedic horror novel The Felicity Complex, and an untitled speculative novel to Sarah Guan at Erewhon Books via Kiana Nguyen of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. Diana M. Pho will edit.
Musician and middle-grade author COLIN MELOY sold first adult novel Cascadia, “a literary speculative odyssey” set in near-future Oregon, to Sally Kim at Putnam at auction via Steven Malk of Writers House.
KHAN WONG sold Down in the Sea of Angels, about people psychically linked across time, to Gemma Creffield at Angry Robot via Amy A. Collins of Talcott Notch Literary Services.
JAN CARSON’s collection Quickly, While They Still Have Horses, with stories about the “political and social intricacies of post-conflict Northern Ireland with speculative twists” and a novel sold to Emily Polson at Scribner in a pre-empt via Kate Johnson of Wolf Literary Services.
JOE MUNGO REED sold Terrestrial History, “a time-bending journey from coastal Scotland to a colony on Mars and back again,” to Nneoma Amadi-obi at Norton via Amelia Atlas of CAA.
CIEL PIERLOT sold The Hunter’s Gambit, “a queer locked room escape adventure with a Victorian aesthetic” with vampires, to Gemma Creffield at Angry Robot via Lauren Spieller of Folio Literary Management.
MARK A. LATHAM sold fantasy The Last Vigilant and two sequels to Bradley Englert at Orbit in a pre-empt via Jennie Goloboy of Donald Maass Literary Agency.
HAL BODNER’s collection In Sad Cypress sold to Kevin Lucia at Cemetery Dance via Cherry Weiner of Cherry Weiner Literary Agency.
CAMILLA BRUCE sold At the Bottom of the Garden, “a speculative ode to wicked stepmothers, murderous housewives, vengeful housekeepers and strange little girls,” plus another title to Anne Groell at Del Rey via Brianne Johnson of HG Literary.
AL HESS sold SF novel Key Lime Sky to Gemma Creffield at
Angry Robot via Ren Balcombe of Janklow & Nesbit.
SCOTT PORTER’s horror novel Born Dead went to Darin Bradley at Underland Press.
PAUL JESSUP sold Cancer Eats the Heart, The Skinless Man Counts to Five, and a collection of “macabre stories” to Darin Bradley at Underland Press.
RACHEL RODMAN sold collection Mutants and Hybrids to Mark Teppo at Underland Press.
JENEVA ROSE sold postapocalyptic romance Dating After the End of the World and a second book to Anh Schluep at Montlake via Sandy Lu of Book Wyrm Literary Agency.
NADIA EL-FASSI’s fantasy “spicy romance” Henna & Hexes sold to Mae Martinez at Bantam Dell at auction via Maddy Belton of Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. UK rights went to Sam Bradbury at Del Rey UK at auction.
COLLIN ARMSTRONG sold Polybius, inspired by the urban legend about a mysterious arcade game, to Ed Schlesinger at Gallery via Liz Parker of Verve Talent & Literary.
GABRIELLA BUBA sold fantasy duology Saints of Storm and Sorrow, “a Filipino-inspired epic,” to Katie Dent at Titan via Ramona Pina of BookEnds.
VENESSA VIDA KELLEY sold fantasy When the Tides Held the Moon to Diana Pho at Erewhon via Saritza Hernandez of Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
Film director ANDREW DAVIS & writer JEFF BIGGERS sold SF thriller Disturbing the Bones to Carl Bromley at Melville House via Murray Weiss of Catalyst Literary Management.
RICHARD THOMAS sold dark fantasy Incarnate to Stephanie Beard at Podium Publishing via Paula Munier at Talcott Notch Literary Services.
AURORA STEWART DE PEÑA’s “Lynchian oral biography” (with ghosts), Julius Julius, sold to Haley Cullingham at Strange Light in Canada by Cody Caetano of CookeMcDermid.
ALAN BAXTER sold horror novel Blood Covenant to Kevin Lucia at Cemetery Dance.
SARAH HAWLEY sold a new paranormal romance and a second book to Cindy Hwang at Berkley via Jessica Watterson of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.
MICHAEL SEIDLINGER’s horror novel The Body Harvest sold to Christoph Paul at Clash via Lane Heymont of the Tobias Literary Agency.
EMMA E. MURRAY sold horror novel When the Devil to Alan Lastufka at Shortwave.
First novelist MORGAN RIDER sold A Goddess Unraveled, first in the Olympus Rising contemporary romantic fantasy series, and two more books to Margot Mallinson at W by Wattpad.
DANA FREDSTI & DAVID FITZGERALD sold fantasy Tarau: The Fall to John Harlacher at Weird Tales Presents via Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
MEGAN ENGELHARDT & MARK BEALL sold The Way We Used to Walk to Jean Lowd at Creative James.
GIN GRIFFITH sold Holy Smoke, Cat Fight, Stolen Heart, and Mind Games to Harbor Lane Books via Leslie Truex of Blue Ridge Literary Agency.
EMMETT NAHIL’s horror novel From the Belly went to Matt Blairstone at Tenebrous Press. Alex Woodroe will edit.
KAYLIE SMITH’s first fantasy for adults, Phantasma, and a second book sold to Jack Renninson at Second Sky via Emily Forney of BookEnds.
SEAN FRAZIER sold Mage Breaker: Eight Bullets, sequel to Mage Breaker, to Jean Lowd at Creative James.
MARIA DONG’s SF novel Psychopomp sold to Marie Croke at Dark Matter Ink via Amy Bishop-Wycisk of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
S.C. ALBAN sold A Life Without Living, Barely Living Alive, and Death Before Dying in “a paranormal, witchy series” to Jean Lowd at Creative James.
AMY WOODRUFF sold fantasy Of Kingdoms and Curses to Danielle DeVor at City Owl Press.
CRAIG E. SAWYER sold fantasy Clay Boy to Heather Vassallo at Brigids Gate.
MARGO LANAGAN sold YA fantasy Spindle Sisters, “fueled by magic and feminine rage,” to Nancy Siscoe at Knopf Children’s via Jill Grinberg of Jill Grinberg Literary Management.
LISA TIRRENO’s queer romantic YA fantasy Prince of Fortune went to Kristie Choi at Atheneum via Jim McCarthy of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.
K.D. KIRCHMEIER sold postapocalyptic YA fantasy The Bone Shepherds and a second title to Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury Children’s via Ali Herring of Spencerhill Associates.
LOGAN-ASHLEY KISNER sold YA fantasy Old Wounds and a second book to Krista Marino at Delacorte at auction via Chloe Seager of Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency.
QUINN DIACON-FURTADO’s queer dark academia YA The Lilies sold to Kristen Pettit at Harper Teen at auction via Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media on behalf of Electric Postcard Entertainment. Alice Jerman will edit.
HEMANT NAYAK’s YA fantasy A Magic Fierce and Bright sold to Alyza Liu at Simon & Schuster Children’s via Jennifer Azantian of Azantian Literary Agency.
KAYLA COTTINGHAM’s sapphic YA fantasy Practical Rules for Cursed Witches and another book sold to Hannah Hill at Delacorte at auction via Erica Bauman of Aevitas Creative Management.
LAURA STEVEN sold Every Exquisite Thing, “dark horror academia with a sapphic romance retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray,” to Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books via Chloe Seager of Madeleine Milburn Literary.
KELLY MURASHIGE’s YA fantasy The Lost Souls of Benzaiten and a second title went to Alexa Wejko at Soho Teen via Savannah Brooks of kt literary.
SHIVAUN PLOZZA sold YA novel The Worst Perfect Moment, “a queer The Good Place meets ‘A Christmas Carol’,” to Alexandra Aceves at Holiday House via Katelyn Detweiler of Jill Grinberg Literary Management.
JORDAN R. BARTLETT sold YA Queendom Come, sequel to Contest of Queens and Queen’s Catacombs, to Sue Arroyo at CamCat Books. Elana Gibson will edit.
MAXIE DARA sold debut novel A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Living and a second book Tracy Bernstein at Berkley via Melissa Edwards of Stonesong.
First novelist BRYN DONOVAN’s “paranormal rom-com” Knight at the Museum and another book sold to Sarah Blumenstock at Berkley via Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.
NICHOLAS BELARDES sold debut eco-horror novel The Deading and a second book to Diana Pho at Erewhon in a pre- empt via Jud Laghi of Jud Laghi Agency.
First novelist REBECCA ROBINSON sold romantasy City of Salt and Snakes and a second title to Amara Hoshijo at Saga Press via Samantha Fabien of Root Literary.
LESLIE J. ANDERSON’s first horror novel The Unmothers went to Rebecca Gyllenhaal at Quirk Books via Eric Smith of P.S. Literary Agency.
ERICA ROSE EBERHART’s first novel Tarnished went to Jean Lowd at Creative James.
E.V. WOODS sold first novel Girls of Dark Divine and another YA fantasy for six figures at auction to Kelsey Horton at Delacorte via Alice Sutherland-Hawes of ASH Literary.
K.M. MCKENZIE’s YA fantasy debut The Civilization went to Kenechi Uzor at Iskanchi Press.
New writer ERICA IVY RODGERS sold YA fantasy Lady of Steel and Straw and a second title to Jonah Heller at Peachtree Teen via Holly Root of Root Literary.
RICH WILBURN’s debut urban fantasy Cherry Dark sold to In Churl Yo at Castle Bridge Media. Jason Henderson will edit.
PREMEE MOHAMED’s fantasy novella One Message Remains went to E. Catherine Tobler at Psychopomp via Michael Curry of Donald Maass Literary Agency.
NEIL WILLIAMSON sold folk-horror novella Charlie Says to Steve J Shaw at Black Shuck Books via John Jarrold.
LYNDSIE MANUSOS sold gothic fantasy novella From These Dark Abodes to E. Catherine Tobler at Psychopomp via Eric Showers of Howard Morhaim Literary Agency.
CRISTINA JURADO sold novella Chlorophilia to Apex Book Company via Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates.
AI JIANG’s science fantasy novella duology A Palace Near the Wind sold to Cath Trechman at Titan Books via Lisa Abellera of Kimberley Cameron & Associates
SARAH HANS sold horror novella Asylum to Jennifer Barnes at Raw Dog Screaming Press. R.J. Joseph will edit.
ELLEN DATLOW sold anthology Fears to Jacob Weisman at Tachyon via Merilee Heifetz of Writers House. Jaymee Goh will edit.
LINDY RYAN will edit women-in-horror anthology Mother Knows Best, with stories by GWENDOLYN KISTE, KELSEA YU, RACHEL HARRISON, KRISTI DEMEESTER, and more for Black Spot.
LEANNA RENEE HIEBER & ANDREA JANES sold non-fiction book America’s Most Gothic: Haunted History Stranger than Fiction to Elizabeth May at Kensington via Chelsea Hensley of kt literary.
ZALIKA REID-BENTA resold contemporary fantasy River Mumma to Diana M. Pho at Erewhon Books via Amy Tompkins of Transatlantic Agency.
SHANNON BRIGHT’s fantasy romance Every Wish Way sold to Cara Chimirri at Embla in the UK via Stephanie Manova of Alcove Press.
BRIAN HERBERT resold DREAMER OF DUNE, the biography of his father FRANK HERBERT, to Brendan Durkin at Orion in the UK via Ana Ban at Trident Media Group on behalf of Robert Gottlieb and John Silbersack.
NISHA J. TULI sold the previously self-published Trial of the Sun Queen, first in the Artefacts of Ouranos series, plus three more books to Madeleine Colavita at Grand Central in the US and Nadia Saward at Orbit UK for seven figures at auction via Lauren Spieller of Folio Literary Management.
TIM PRATT delivered SF novel The Knife and the Serpent, first in the Nigh-Space series, to Simon Spanton at Angry Robot.
ELLEN WRIGHT has been promoted to publicity director at Orbit.
Apex Book Company has announced that MARISSA VAN UDEN is now primary acquisitions editor for Apex Book Company, with LEAH NING as managing editor.
R.A. SALVATORE’s Drizzt series, set in the world of Forgotten Realms, resold to Elizabeth Schaefer at Random House Worlds via Wizards of the Coast.
This report and more like it in the September 2023 issue of Locus.
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