Echo acquires Kell historical novel

Echo Publishing has acquired world rights to Katrina Kell’s first novel for adults, via Fiona Smith at Beyond Words Literary Agency.

The book is inspired by the French nude portrait Chloé, which has been displayed on the wall of Young and Jackson Hotel in Melbourne since 1909. Painted in Paris in 1875 by Jules Joseph Lefebvre, the artwork has become a much-loved cultural icon.

The novel takes readers between Montmartre during the revolutionary Paris Commune and Melbourne during World War I, ‘casting light on two tumultuous periods of history, a beautiful painting and a remarkable young woman’.

Kell’s manuscript was awarded a mentorship prize through the Australian Society of Authors in 2020.

Echo will publish the novel in May 2024.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions