LBF Updates: Harper Strikes Early

By Matthew Thornton -- Publishers Weekly, 4/14/2008 9:23:00 AM

HarperCollins signed two deals Friday, two days before the official opening. HC's Claire Wachtel said "serendipity" lead her to acquire world rights to a work described as a "counterintuitive look at sports" by Matthew Syed, a recent winner of London's sportswriter of the year award. Wachtel, who signed Freakonomics, said she is wary about comparing other books to the business bestseller but said Syed's take on sports deserved the comparison. Syed, whose background includes two trips to the Olympics in table tennis, gives a completely unique view to all aspects of sports, for both athletes and fans, Wachtel said. Manuscript is due in nine months to a year. Jonny Geller did the deal, which was for a "handsome six figures."

Jennifer Barth bought North American rights to Heather Barbieri's second novel, titled The Lace Makers of Skibbeen, via Emma Sweeney. The story follows a young, struggling fashion designer as she travels to Ireland to forget a troubled past. Stranded in a Gaelic village on the west coast, she joins the ladies of the local lace making society and together they create lingerie--with unexpected consequences. Sweeney dubs the book How to Make an American Quilt (also published by Harper) set in Ireland, and there are already three German offers on the table. Barbieri's first book, Snow in July, was published by Soho.