UQP acquires Caddy historical YA

University of Queensland Press (UQP) has acquired world rights to Meg Caddy’s historical YA novel A Flash in the Dust, in a deal brokered by Abigail Nathan at Alex Adsett Literary.

‘A Flash in the Dust is set in 1890s Western Australia, and follows two queer young people, Gil Brady and Norah Devaney, as they escape Fremantle Asylum, become bushrangers, and hunt down a serial killer: the policeman who killed Norah’s mother,’ said the publisher.

Caddy is a bookseller and writer. Their fantasy novel Waer (Text) was shortlisted for the 2013 Text Prize and the 2017 CBCA Book of the Year Award for older readers, and their historical fiction novel Devil’s Ballast (also Text) was shortlisted for the 2020 Readings YA Book Prize. Caddy began A Flash in the Dust as part of their PhD thesis.

Discussing the forthcoming book, they said: ‘As someone who identifies as both asexual and nonbinary, I grew up without seeing my own experiences represented in Australian fiction. As it stands, there are currently no traditionally published queer YA novels set in Australia prior to 1900. Given the current anti-trans and anti-queer sentiment in both local and international media, these nuanced and diverse queer stories are more important than ever … A Flash in the Dust sends a strong message that queer people have both a history and a future in this country.’

UQP children’s and YA publisher Cathy Vallance acquired the book. Vallance said: ‘I was captivated from the moment I started reading. The plot, pacing, characterisation and historical research have all been expertly executed. This book provides a queer perspective on Australian history, which is severely lacking in the market.’

UQP plans to publish A Flash in the Dust in 2026.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions