Deals
Worth, paying six figures. The spirituality publisher said the
book, set for 2021, will espouse the entrepreneur’s expertise
in personal branding and explain how to use “personal
empowerment to build the ‘right’ business brand—not just
the bottom line.” Zweig, who was represented by Marilyn
Allen at Allen O’Shea Literary, is the founder of the personal
branding agency SimplyBe.■ Atheneum Wins Namey’s ‘Girl’ at Auction
Atheneum’s Alex Borbolla bought world English rights to A
Cuban Girl’s Guide to Sweaters and Stars at auction. The
sophomore novel by Laura Taylor Namey (The Library of
Lost Things) was sold by Natascha Morris at Bookends.
Atheneum said the book follows Lila Flores, who, after her
post–high school plans collapse, is shipped off to England to
live with family friends. Expecting the experience abroad to
be a bust, the heroine is pleasantly surprised when, Athe-
neum explained, “she falls for tea shop clerk Orion Maxwell
and, most surprisingly, England itself.” The YA novel is set
for fall 2020.■ HMH Lands New Lowry Book
In a world rights deal, Margaret Raymo at Houghton Mif-
flin Harcourt acquired a new middle grade book by The Giver
author Lois Lowry. On the Horizon is a nonfiction work
written in verse. The book by the two-time Newbery Med-
alist, who was represented by Emily van Beek at Folio
Literary Management, is, HMH said, drawn from a combina-
tion of research and the author’s childhood memories. HMH
added that the book “tells the story of soldiers and civilians
whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies
of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima.” The illustrator on the
project, Kenard Pak, was represented by Kirsten Hall at
the Catbird Agency. Horizon is slated for an April 2020
release.■ McHugh’s ‘Royal’ Is Crowned at Morrow
In a preempt, Lucia Macro at William Morrow acquired The
Princess Royal by Clare McHugh. The debut novel, explained
McHugh’s agent, Laura Dail at the Laura Dail Literary Agency,
is historical fiction and focuses on Vicky, the oldest daughter
of Queen Victoria. Dail explained that Vicky, after being
married to the crown prince of Prussia, saw her “romantic life
thwarted by reactionary forces, including her own son, Kaiser
Wilhelm.” Dail, elaborating, said the novel is “a story of marriage and motherhood,
and of a woman finding her role and voice.” McHugh works in media and was most
recently the senior director of editorial operations for Time Inc.’s News and Lifestyle
brands.ZweigNameyLowryMcHughMOVIE DEALS
INTERNATIONAL
DEALS● U.K.-based production company
Lime Pictures optioned James
Gould-Burn’s debut novel,
Keeping Mum. The novel is about a
father who finds an unconventional
way to communicate with his
young son, who became mute after
his mother died in car crash. It’s
being published in June 2020
in the U.K. Scribner has North
American rights.
● According to Deadline, Disney+
optioned Neal Shusterman’s
Challenger Deep (HarperTeen).
The National Book Award winner
is about a 15-year-old’s descent
into schizophrenia. Screenwriter
Will McCormack is set to adapt
the novel.● Greek publisher Skarifima
Editions acquired the Spanish
debut novel Vozdevieja by Elisa
Victoria. The book was originally
published by Spain’s Blackie
Books in February. Spanish
agency SalmaiaLit, which handled
the sale, said the novel is about
“a girl who sails through the long
summer of Seville in 1990.”
● Switzerland-based British jour-
nalist Caroline Bishop sold her
debut novel to Simon & Schuster
UK in a preempt. Hayley Steed at
the Madeleine Milburn Agency
handled the sale, the Bookseller
reported, for The Other Daughter.
S&S UK described the book to
the Bookseller as having “a dual
narrative that brilliantly explores
the themes of motherhood and
feminism, identity and belonging.”©^
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