WCA Deal Report for May 9, 2018

Reka Simonsen at Atheneum made a six-figure, two-book pre-empt for THE VERY, VERY FAR NORTH by Dan Bar-el, author of Audrey (Cow). The middle grade novel features a charming polar bear named Duane finding his place in the world, illustrating how friendship both overcomes and celebrates differences, akin to a contemporary Winnie-the-Pooh. Publication of the first volume is planned for fall 2019: Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists brokered the deal for world rights on behalf of the author; Abigail Samoun at Red Fox Literary negotiated on behalf of Kelly Pousette, who will illustrate.

Kyo Maclear and illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh’s STORY BOAT, a lyrical picture book about a girl and her younger sibling who try to figure out where and what home is as they make the journey to their new country, to Tara Walker at Tundra Books, for publication in January 2020, by Jackie Kaiser of Westwood Creative Artists (World).

An imaginative new picture book collaboration between author Sara O’Leary and illustrator Rosie Winstead, MARIGOLD AND THE GIANT GIRL, about a doll whose life changes when a little girl becomes the new owner of her dollhouse, to Tara Walker at Tundra Books, for publication in Fall 2019, by Jackie Kaiser of Westwood Creative Artists, (World).

Winner of the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and author of Walls, Marcello Di Cintio’s Pay No Heed to the Rockets, a political-literary travelogue that reveals a more complex story to the Palestinian experience as seen through the lens of authors, books, and literature, once again to Dan Smetanka at Counterpoint, for publication in September 2018, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists. Canadian rights previously to Susanne Alexander at Goose Lane, for publication in April 2018, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists. UK & Commonwealth (excl. Canada) rights to Elizabeth Briggs at Saqi, for publication in May 2018, by Carolyn Forde on behalf of Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists.