Jade Hui at Summit Books preempted North American rights to The Kindness of Strangers by Emma Garman (pictured l.), in a two-book deal, from Cara Lee Simpson at Susanna Lea. The publisher called the book “a taut and multi-POV homage to the classic murder mystery, set in a rooming house in post-WWII London,” and said it explores “perilous self-invention, complicated love, righteous revenge, and a murder that will implicate everyone.” Publication is set for May 2026.

Callie Garnett at Bloomsbury secured North American rights to Bright Monday by David Leavitt from Jin Auh at Wylie. The publisher called the novel “the story of a romantic entanglement rekindled after three decades, set in Milan at the end of the Covid pandemic and in New York City at the height of the AIDS crisis.” Publication is set for 2026.

Ruoxi Chen at Putnam bought North American rights to Hello, World by Karisa Tell, for six figures, at auction, from Stephanie Delman at Trellis. The novel, the publisher said, follows “a group of people living in a simulation fully customized to their preferences, and what happens when a young mother disappears and a series of strange glitches begins to reveal the true cost of getting everything they ever thought they wanted.” Publication is set for 2027.

Nneoma Amadi-obi at Norton took U.S. rights to the Sixty Kilo Saga trilogy by Hallgrímur Helgason from Elianna Kan at Regal Hoffmann. The book, the publisher said, is “set against the breathtaking beauty of the peaks, fjords, and snows of Iceland,” and “boils the life of a nation down to one small village and the destiny of one individual, Gestur, whose coming-of-age is also the story of the birth of a nation.” No publication date has been announced.

Wendy Wong and Jennifer Hershey at Ballantine purchased North American rights, at auction, to This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint, in a two-book deal, from Amelia Evans at PRH UK, for a May 2026 release. The publisher called the novel “a vibrant reimagining of the epic love story between Aphrodite and Ares, two opposing deities drawn to each other against all odds.”

Jeanne Thornton at Feminist Press picked up U.S. and Canadian rights to Danielle Maggio’s Game Is Her Middle Name: The Unapologetic Life of Betty Davis from Brandi Bowles at UTA. The publisher called it “the story of Davis’s fearlessly erotic and genre-blending funk music career and her struggle to keep control of it against the racist, sexist 1970s music industry.” Publication is set
for fall 2026.

In Brief

  • Sarah Ried at Atlantic Editions acquired world rights to The Singing Word: 168 Years of Atlantic Poetry by Walt Hunter, unagented, collecting “nearly 100 poems originally published in the Atlantic,” for a September 2025 release.
  • Jessica Tribble Wells at Thomas & Mercer preempted world rights to Jenni L. Walsh’s Prohibition-era locked-room mystery The Gatsby Girls Do Murder from Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon for publication in June 2026.
  • Jessica Case at Pegasus purchased North American rights to The Gardener’s Club, a murder mystery by Marnie Riches, from Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein. Publication is set for March 2026.
  • Karen Kosztolnyik at Grand Central bought North American rights to Ally Condie’s “novel of suspense and friendship” The Girls Trip from Jodi Reamer at Writers House. Release is set for April 2026.
  • Kate Gale at Red Hen took world rights to Ariane Powell’s “sapphic poetry collection” Sext from Lauren Bieker at FinePrint, for a 2027 release.
  • Laura Price at Titan netted world rights to Joey Spiotto’s Star Trek cartoon collection Klingon Next Door: Off Duty the Warrior’s Way from Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency. Publication is set for fall 2025.