Local titles selling overseas

Since the industry last gathered for a major rights fair, titles from Australian publishers have continued to sell into international markets, with a range of new and established authors’ works to enter new territories.

Among these recent international rights sales of Australian titles, Echo has sold UK and Commonwealth (ex ANZ) rights to Debra Dank’s We Come With This Place to Footnote Press. Footnote Press editorial director Fritha Saunders told BookBrunch: ‘I was completely blown away by Debra’s stunning book—it’s beautifully written, incredibly moving and so evocative. This is an important book and a rare gem—we’re very proud to bring it to the Footnote list.’ Footnote Press will publish We Come With This Place in November.

Rights to Michael Gifkins Prize-winning novel Paper Cage (Tom Baragwanath, Text) have been sold to the US and UK, reports the Bookseller. In the UK the book will be published by Baskerville, the new literary crime and thriller imprint of Hachette-owned John Murray Press, with UK and Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ and Canada) having been acquired by Baskerville publishing director Jade Chandler from Sarah Lutyens at Lutyens & Rubinstein in a two-book deal. In the US, the book will be published by Anchor/Vintage. In both the UK and US, Paper Cage will publish in February 2024.

University of Queensland Press (UQP) has sold North American rights to Ellen van Neerven’s nonfiction book Personal Score: Sport. Culture. Identity to Eric Obenauf at Ohio publisher Two Dollar Radio. Personal Score provides a queer First Nations perspective on the role of sport in Australia, with a focus on van Neerven’s experience playing soccer at an elite level. Two Dollar Radio will publish Personal Score in March 2024.

UQP has also sold North American rights to Nightsong (Sally Soweol Han), the recently released follow-up to the author’s debut picture book Tiny Wonders, to Bloomsbury US. In Nightsong, after a big day in the noisy city, Lewis and his mother are heading home. But on the way, their bus breaks down, leaving them stuck on the side of a country road. It’s still and silent, but when Lewis ventures into a nearby field, he discovers that nature is full of wonder and music. Nightsong was released in Australia earlier this month.

Pictured: Sally Soweol Han.

Category: Think Australian rights