Affirm acquires debut novel by Tony Martin

Affirm Press has acquired the debut novel by comedian and broadcaster Tony Martin.

The publisher said Deadly Kerfuffle is ‘inspired by letters to the local newspaper’, and is ‘set in a quiet suburban street where a series of tiny misunderstandings explode into a full-blown disaster’.

‘The trouble starts when a Maori family moves into Number 14, and the neighbourhood cranks assume that they are Middle Eastern terrorists who have come to destroy the Australian way of life,’ said the publisher. ‘This sets off an extraordinary chain of events that embroils the whole neighbourhood, high-profile media figures, anti-terrorist police, and a gang of white supremacists who decide bombing a national landmark is the best way to wake up the country and preserve Australian values.’

Affirm publishing director Martin Hughes said he ‘loved’ Martin’s earlier books, which include two collections of autobiographical essays, Lolly Scramble and A Nest of Occasionals (Macmillan). ‘I’m delighted that someone as talented as Tony is writing fiction and I know, with his huge following, he will help convert otherwise reluctant readers with Deadly Kerfuffle.’

Deadly Kerfuffle will be published in November.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions