Crown Publishing's Good Causes

The book industry may be struggling, but Crown and Three Rivers recently concluded four deals with charitable or human rights agendas. Three Rivers editor Brett Valley has acquired two books by John Prendergast, coauthor (with actor Don Cheadle) of Not On Our Watch. The first, Making Good: How to End Genocide, Femicide and Child Slavery, is a call to arms to stop atrocities in Africa and beyond; Prendergast will recount his journeys in Africa and tell the stories of those committed to the fight to stop violence and repression across the globe. Pub date is summer 2010, and Three Rivers will publish. The second book, Big Brother, Little Brother, focuses on Prendergast's 20 years in the Big Brother program and his relationship with his little brother in the program; this one is scheduled for fall 2010 and will be published by Crown. Sarah Chalfant at the Wylie Agency sold North American rights to both books.

Three Rivers editor Heather Proulx bought world rights to Rita Golden Gelman's Break Free, Break Rules, Break Bread via Elaine Markson. The author of The Tales of a Female Nomad has collected essays about connection through food, love and travel from readers of her first book, and will write the foreword, an afterword and brief pieces that weave the essays together. All royalties will go to the author's charity, the Golden Fund, which helps children in India get vocational training.

Proulx also acquired U.S. rights to Freedom: A Collection of Original Short Stories Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Chuck Palahniuk, Yann Martel and others, via Fiona Brownlee at Scottish publisher Mainstream Publishing. All royalties will be donated to Amnesty International.