Press Release: Deals Done
Venetia Butterfield Signs New Titles For Viking
Posted at 8:03AM Tuesday 13 Jan 2009
At Penguin, Venetia Butterfield has acquired three titles that reflect the breadth of Viking's illustrious fiction and non-fiction list, from Periodic Tales, a non-fictional story of the chemical elements, to Laila Lalami's intensely moving literary novel The Secret Son, capturing the disillusionment of youth in contemporary Morocco, and Clara Salaman of The Bill's debut novel Shame On You, based on her own terrifying experiences growing up in a London cult.Periodic Tales by Hugh Aldersey-Williams In Periodic Tales, Hugh Aldersey-Williams is the first author to unlock the secrets of the chemical elements for a general readership and, in a unique and original bridge between science, literature and the arts, reveal the ways in which they are woven into our culture, history and language. British chemist Aldersey-Williams became enthralled with the mysteries of chemistry as a young school boy, entranced by a vast illuminated console table of the chemical elements at the Science Museum in London. He set about creating a collection of (the more stable) elements for himself; the beginning of a lifelong love which he hopes to instil in readers of Periodic Tales. Venetia Butterfield negotiated the deal from an exclusive submission from agent Antony Topping at Greene & Heaton, signing pre-emptive world and serial rights. The title has already generated buzz amongst foreign publishers, Penguin's foreign rights team securing deals in the US (Ecco, HarperCollins), Germany (DTV), Italy (Rizzoli), Brazil (Distribuidora Record) and Sweden (Norstedts Forlag) at Frankfurt this year. Venetia Butterfield said: 'I'm delighted that Hugh Aldersey-Williams will be bringing the very best of popular science writing to the Viking list. Like opening a treasure chest and revealing its gems within, Aldersey-Williams displays the elements to his reader with loving awe. Lively, entertaining, accessible and always informative, it's no wonder that Periodic Tales caused such as stir at Frankfurt this year.' Secret Son by Laila Lalami Set in the slums and mansions of Casablanca, the 'Secret Son' of Laila Lalami's stunning debut novel is Youssef El-Mekki, who believes himself to be the fatherless child of an orphaned mother. Struggling to make something of himself in a city where even a college degree is no guarantee of a job, Youssef discovers that the family history he's grown up with is a lie, fabricated to protect him and the reputation of his wealthy father. His journey out of the slums of Casablanca and into the upper echelons of society has disturbing, and unexpected, consequences. Gary Shteyngart, author of Absurdistan, describes Secret Son as 'A tale of contemporary Morocco straddling the personal and the political, told simply, beautifully, with heart and panache.' He adds, 'Laila Lalami has talent to burn'. Moroccan born Laila Lalami is known internationally for her blog, www.moorishgirl.com, and is author of the much-acclaimed and widely-translated short story collection Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits. Her writing has been shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing and she is the recipient of an Oregon Literary Arts grant and a Fulbright Fellowship. Lalami's work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe amongst others. Venetia Butterfield bought UK and Commonwealth rights from US publisher Algonquin and plans to publish in May 2010. Venetia Butterfield said: 'I have long admired Laila Lalami's elegant and moving prose and am thrilled that her novel Secret Son has found its home at Viking amongst our recent debut voices such as Hisham Matar, Ross Raisin, Naomi Alderman and Nikita Lalwani. Shame On You by Clara Salaman In a remarkable and disturbing tale set in a London cult, Clara Salaman's Shame On You tells the story of teenager Caroline Stern who, like any girl gets into scraps, has fun with her girlfriends and has a crush on her teacher. But that's where normality ends. As a child of 'The Organisation' her every move - from what she eats to who she'll marry - is dictated for her. As Caroline's free-thinking ways bring her into conflict with the leaders of the cult and brutal punishments take their toll, she plans to exact a terrible revenge. Twenty years later, Caroline is living with her lover Joe. He knows her as Lorrie and knows nothing of her past - until the reappearance of a childhood friend brings memories flooding back. Best known as DI Claire Stanton in the longstanding ITV drama The Bill, Clara Salaman also appeared in Eastenders and A Touch of Frost before moving in to writing, including a screenplay for Granada Television. Shame On You is her first novel. Venetia Butterfield bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Matthew Hamilton of Aitken Alexander Associates. She said: 'Clara Salaman's brilliantly page-turning Shame On You takes us into the heart of a terrifyingly controlling community and is sure to create a media storm.'
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