By Georgie Cutler, Eva Lee and Niamh Parr
Acquisition News
Knopf Acquires Ishiguro’s collection of lyrics
Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is set to prove with his upcoming publication – a collection of song lyrics – that he is not only a master of fiction but of songwriting as well. Since 2007, Ishiguro has been writing song lyrics for Grammy-nominated jazz musician Stacey Kent, with his words first appearing on her album Breakfast on the Morning Tram after some years of mutual correspondence between the two creatives. The forthcoming collection – The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain: Lyrics for Stacey Kent – features lyrics written by Ishiguro for sixteen different songs, as well as an introduction by the author and vibrant illustrations by Italian artist Bianca Bagnarelli. Alfred A. Knopf and Jordan Pavlin acquired North American rights from Amanda Urban at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The book will be released by Knopf in the US and Faber in the UK, both in March 2024.
Anappara’s second novel, signed by Oneworld
The sophomore novel by Deepa Anappara, author of the Women’s Prize longlisted Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, has been acquired for publication by Oneworld. Venturing into a new genre, The Last of the Earth is a historical novel set in mid-nineteenth century Tibet as three travellers undertake a dangerous journey into a kingdom forbidden to outsiders – each with their own mysterious reasons for doing so – and each in need of help from strangers to reach their journey’s end. Featuring a mix of intimate character relationships alongside bold storytelling and imaginative worldbuilding, Anaparra’s second novel is set to be as much of a hit as her widely-recognised debut. UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, were bought from Matthew Turner at RCW by publisher Juliet Mabey in a three-way auction, whilst North American and Indian rights are held by Random House and PRH India. The Last of the Earth will be a lead title for Oneworld upon its prospective publication in March 2025, when it will be released in hardback edition.
From Book to Screen
Killers of the Flower Moon coming to cinemas
Michael Scorsese directs this star-studded adaptation of David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon. The non-fiction book depicts the FBI investigation of the murders of the Osage people in the early 1920s after oil was found on their land. The epic Western crime drama adaptation is based on a screenplay by Martin Scorsese and Eric Roth. It features the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow. It is the tenth feature film Scorsese and De Niro have worked on together and the sixth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio. You can watch Killers of the Flower Moon in cinemas from 20 October 2023. The movie will be released on Apple TV+, but no date has been set yet for streaming.
Lupin returns to Netflix
Lupin returns to our screens this October with the third part of the hit Netflix series. The series is inspired by Maurice Leblanc’s bestselling novels that feature Arsène Lupin, the gentleman burglar who takes from the rich to give to the poor. The Netflix series revolves around Assane Diop, the son of Babakar Diop, a Senegalese immigrant who was framed for stealing a diamond necklace by the Pellegrini family when Assane was a teenager. The series sees an older Assane Diop seek revenge on the Pellegrini family with some helpful inspiration from the Lupin novels. The third series sees Omar Sy return as Assane Diop, accompanied by Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme, Soufiane Guerrab and Shirine Boutella. The first and second parts of Lupin are currently available to watch on Netflix. You can watch the third part of Lupin on Netflix from the 5 October 2023.
In the Works
Victorian novel Poor Things adaptation
A black comedy fantasy film is in the works titled Poor Things, based on the 1992 novel written by Alasdair Gray. Praises of the adaptation have been noted ahead of its release after a premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. The story is set in Victorian Glasgow and tells the story of Bella Baxter, a woman revived with superior intelligence after a radical experiment, with themes of identity, power and societal norms being explored, added with a touch of humour and satire. We’ll see the likes of Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael as the main cast of the film. Keep your eyes peeled, as the film is scheduled to be released in January 2024.