Agency News
Winter 2011
W.W. Norton has acquired U.S. and translation rights to Princeton
scholar Gregory Johnsen's definitive book about the resurgence of
Al-Qaeda in Yemen. Johnsen is a former Fulbright Fellow and one of the
world's leading experts on Yemen and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
In addition to lecturing at the CIA University and advising FBI agents
and the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), Johnsen has testified
before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and spoken before the
Joint Special Operations Command, the National Security Agency, the
National Intelligence Council, the State Department, and the Department
of Defense.
HarperCollins Canada has pre-empted Canadian rights to marketing expert
and venture capitalist Arlene Dickinson's book about the power of
persuasion. Dickinson is one of the stars of the hit television show
Dragon's Den and the CEO of marketing firm Venture Communications.
Rodale has pre-empted world rights to U.S. cardiologist Bill Davis’ book about America’s obsession with wheat. It explores how wheat-containing foods have come to dominate our diet and argues that the "healthy, whole grain" advice dispensed by official agencies is actually a major contributor to ill health.
Yale University Press has commissioned author and former World Bank official Robert Calderisi (The Trouble with Africa) to write a book about the influence and role of the Roman Catholic Church in the developing world. Publication is scheduled for 2013.
Fall 2010
Little, Brown has inked a "significant" six-figure deal with science journalist Sam Kean for his next two non-fiction books, the first of which will explore biology in the same way that Kean’s previous bestselling book, The Disappearing Spoon, explored chemistry.
Little, Brown has acquired North American rights to a unique cocktail-making book by Brian Murphy. Titled See Mix Drink: A Refreshingly Simple Guide to Crafting the World’s Most Popular Cocktails, the book uses a confoundingly simple and visually-engaging format that will allow any reader to instantly assemble drinks without ever reaching for a measuring cup.
Rodale and Random House Canada have acquired rights to bestselling author Natasha Turner’s next diet book. Dr. Turner’s first book, The Hormone Diet, has sold over 100,000 copies in North America.
Summer 2010
Alex Debogorski, star of the hit reality television show Ice Road Truckers on HISTORY, has signed a book deal with Wiley and Penguin Canada to write a book about his life and adventures as an ice road trucker.
Sam Kean’s debut non-fiction book, The Disappearing Spoon, featuring fascinating stories about the elements on the periodic table, has landed on the New York Times’ Non-Fiction Bestseller List.
Chatham House fellow Cleo Paskal’s book, Global Warring, about the geopolitical consequences of climate change, has won a $5,000 Special Merit Award from the Grantham Prize for Environmental Journalism.
Winter 2010
HarperCollins in New York has acquired U.S. rights to journalist Alex Hutchinson’s book, Which Comes First,Cardio or Weights? -- Fitness Myths, Training Truths,
and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise
. The book is an eclectic collection of questions about fitness and exercise that scientists have managed to answer, providing hype-free analysis of common ("Can I freeze my lungs by exercising in the cold?") and not-so-common ("Can swearing help me push harder in a workout?") fitness questions. Canadian rights were sold to McClelland and Stewart.
Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin’s Press in New York, has acquired world rights to golf blogger Neil Sagebiel's book, The Longest Shot. The book tells the improbable "million-to-one" story of unknown municipal golf pro Jack Fleck's stunning victory at the 1955 U.S. Open where he dashed Ben Hogan's hopes of becoming the only man to win a record five U.S. Open titles, a feat ranked by Sports Illustrated as one of the top ten greatest upsets in sports history.
Novelty book publisher Running Press has bought world rights to Connecticut-based naturopathic physician Joshua Levitt’s book Baby Barbells, an illustrated book of playful exercises that fathers and toddlers can do together, coupled with witty and practical advice relating to fatherhood, fitness, and "raising" healthy children.
Summer/Fall 2009
Knopf in New York and HarperCollins in Canada have acquired U.S. and Canadian rights respectively to journalist Jay Bahadur’s book, The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World. The book will draw on the author’s travels into the heart of Somalia, to the autonomous but internationally unrecognized region of Puntland, to give the world a better understanding of the human beings and politics behind Somalia's notorious sea pirates.
After an auction among three leading U.K. publishers, Profile Books in London has won the U.K. rights to Jay Bahadur’s book about Somali sea pirates, The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World. Australian rights were sold to Scribe.
Night and Day Pictures has optioned author Jena Pincott’s book, Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes? for a television sitcom set in a love lab. The deal was negotiated in partnership with Hotchkiss and Associates.
Abrams, one of the world’s leading publishers of illustrated books, has bought world rights to New York Times bestselling author Richard Reeves and author Harvey Sawler's Portrait of Camelot: A Thousand Days in the Kennedy White House, a visual history of the Kennedy administration and first family featuring photographs by Cecil Stoughton, chief photographer during the Kennedy administration.
Starred review for The Curse of the Labrador Duck
The Curse of the Labrador Duck by ornithologist Dr. Glen Chilton (Simon and Schuster) received a starred review in Publishers Weekly.
Winter/Spring 2009
Tim Cook Wins 2009 Charles Taylor Prize
Congratulations to agency client Tim Cook, a World War I historian,
for winning the $25,000 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction.
Renowned Astrologer Signs with House of Anansi
House of Anansi Press has acquired Chicago Sun-Times and National Post astrologer Georgia Nicols' untitled debut book, for publication in
2010. The deal was negotiated by Georgia's literary agent, Rick Broadhead.
7th U.S. Printing for Survivorman
HarperCollins has announced that Survive! - Essential Tactics and
Skills to Get You Out of Anywhere, Alive, written by television
celebrity and survival skills expert Les Stroud, is now in its 7th
printing in the United States. Stroud is host of The Discovery
Channel's popular program, "Survivorman."
Seymour Hersh Praises The Secret Sentry
Pulitizer-Prize winning American journalist and New Yorker contributor
Seymour M. Hersch has offered glowing praise of U.S. intelligence
historian Matthew Aid's book about the National Security Agency. Hersh
called The Secret Sentry "the most informative book ever written on the
inside bureaucratic struggles and the outside operations of the National
Security Agency."
Tenth Foreign License for Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?
Bantam Dell (Random House) has sold Portuguese rights to Jena
Pincott's "Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes" to Portuguese publisher
Caleidoscopio. This is the tenth foreign license for Jena's book on the
science of human attraction.
Fall/Winter 2008
Bad Bridesmaid Optioned by Shaftesbury
Bad Bridesmaid, journalist Siri Agrell's non-fiction book about the
trials and tribulations of the modern bridesmaid, has been optioned by
Shaftesbury Films for development as a two-hour television movie. The
deal was negotiated by Rick Broadhead in collaboration with talent
agency William Morris.
Harlequin to Release The Menopause Makeover
Harlequin in New York has acquired American television
producer/director Staness Jonekos' non-fiction book, "The Menopause
Makeover," co-authored with Wendy Klein, M.D.,
Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine (Obstetrics & Gynecology) at
Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Medicine and
Senior Deputy Director at VCU's Institute for Women's Health. The book
deal was negotiated by Staness' literary agent, Rick Broadhead.
Estonian Rights Sale for 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life
Bantam Dell (Random House) has announced the twelfth foreign rights
sale for Registered Dietitian Dave Grotto's book, "101 Foods That Could Save Your Life." Estonian rights were sold to Eram Books in Estonia.
Little, Brown Pre-Empts Sam Kean's Debut Non-Fiction Book
Little, Brown in New York has acquired American science journalist Sam Kean`s book `Science`s Curiosity Cabinet,` in a six-figure pre-emptive deal for world rights. The book will offer "hidden stories and quirky details behind the science of the periodic table, bringing the elements to light as they relate to history, finance, alchemy, mythology, petty politics, poison, crime, war, the arts, and even love." The deal was negotiated by Sam`s literary agent, Rick Broadhead. Foreign rights have already been sold to Locus in Taiwan, Hoffman & Campe in Germany, Kinneret Zmora in Israel, Versal in Norway, and Book House in Korea.
