curtis brown australia rights newsletter may 2014

1 Curtis Brown Australia / Rights Newsletter / www.curtisbrown.com.au

Curtis Brown Australia

May 2014 Rights Newsletter

Curtis Brown (Aust) Pty Ltd | Literary Agents PO Box 19 | Paddington NSW 2021 | Australia

T: [61 2] 9361 6161 | F: [61 2] 9360 3935 E: [email protected] | W: www.curtisbrown.com.au


ADULT

FICTION THE STRAYS Emily Bitto (Affirm Press)

Genre: Literary fiction Description: On her first day at a new school, Lily befriends one of the daughters of infamous avant-garde painter Evan Trentham. He and his wife are trying to escape the stifling conservatism of 1930s Australia by inviting other like-minded artists to live and work at their family home. Lily becomes infatuated with this wild, makeshift family and longs to truly be a part of it. As the years pass, Lily observes the way the lives of these artists come to reflect the same themes as their art: Faustian bargains and spectacular falls from grace. Yet it’s not Evan, but his own daughters, who pay the price for his radicalism. THE STRAYS is an engrossing story of ambition, sacrifice and

compromised loyalties from an exciting new talent. ‘THE STRAYS is a perfectly crafted novel … an immediately engaging and tender story taking hold of the reader from the first pages. Emily Bitto is without doubt a writer to remember and follow in the future.’ – Tony Birch Page Extent: 356 pp Rights Available: English language (excl ANZ), Translation, Film/TV Agent: Clare Forster [email protected] THROUGH THE CRACKS Honey Brown (Michael Joseph, Penguin)

Genre: Thriller Description: A leafy street. A quiet neighbour. The darkest of crimes. Adam Vander has grown tall enough and strong enough to escape his abusive and controlling father. Emerging from behind the locked door of their rambling suburban home, Adam steps into a world he's been kept isolated from. In the days that follow, with the charismatic and streetwise Billy as his guide, Adam begins to experience all that he's missed out on. As the bond between the boys grows, questions begin to surface. Who is Adam really? Why did his father keep him so hidden? Was it just luck that Billy found him, or an unsettling kind of fate? And how dangerous is revealing the shocking truth of Adam's identity?

It's a treacherous climb from the darkness. For one boy to make it, the other might have to fall through the cracks. Page Extent: 406 pp Rights Available: English language (excl ANZ), Translation, Film/TV Agent: Fiona Inglis [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



THE BEST FEELING OF ALL Jack Ellis (Australian Scholarly Publishing)

Genre: Fiction Description: Life doesn't happen, you make it. Mols and Jaz can't wait for life to begin. In the meantime, they'll make sure they get their share of excitement and fun. When they're not seeking out the next ecstatic thrill, they're making big plans for the future while exploring the headlands, sand dunes and storm drains of Sydney's Northern Beaches. They race along the ridge between possibility and reality until they slam into the shocks, heartaches and impossible choices of adulthood. THE BEST FEELING OF ALL follows two friends who share in love, loss and life-altering decisions through the most emotionally charged of all life stages, the wild and euphoric years between 15 and 25. The story is told in

three contrasting parts - Adolescence, Nineteen and Adulthood - and it's about having the guts and imagination to shape our own lives. 'Ellis's writing remains true to the youthful energy of his characters, but his storytelling has real grace and potency.' - Christos Tsiolkas, author of THE SLAP. Page Extent: 359 pp Rights Available: Translation, Audio, Film/TV Agent: Fiona Inglis [email protected] ROCKING HORSE HILL Cathryn Hein (Michael Joseph, Penguin)

Genre: Contemporary romance Description: Ever since she was a little girl, Emily Wallace-Jones has loved Rocking Horse Hill. The beautiful family property is steeped in history. Everything important in Em's life has happened there. And even though Em's brother Digby has inherited the property, he has promised Em it will be her home for as long as she wishes. When Digby falls in love with sweet Felicity Townsend, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Em worries about the future. But she is determined not to treat Felicity with the same teenage snobbery that tore apart her relationship with her first love, Josh Sinclair. A man who has now sauntered sexily back into Em's life and given her a chance for redemption. But as Felicity settles in, the once tightly knitted Wallace-Jones family

begins to fray. Suspicions are raised, Josh voices his distrust, and even Em's closest friends question where Felicity's motives lie. Conflicted but determined to make up for the damage caused by her past prejudices, Em sides with her brother and his fiancée until a near tragedy forces the entire family to see things in a new light. Page Extent: 320 pp Rights Available: English language (excl ANZ), Translation, Film/TV Agent: Clare Forster [email protected]




THE UNKNOWN WOMAN Jacqueline Lunn (Vintage, Random House)

Genre: Contemporary fiction Description: It is Tuesday May 15 and accidental housewife Lilith Grainger wakes to find herself in a photograph on the front page of the newspaper, in a place she shouldn't be, in a world her privileged family knows nothing about. At the centre of the novel is 44-year-old Lilith Grainger a former actuary who gave up work to look after her two children. It was meant to be for a year or so, but that year or so has turned into 10. She has a lovely, funny husband Bernie who works as a lawyer. Two children, Olivia (14) and Daniel (11) a father in a nursing home, a CEO brother who has just been accused of sexual harassment at work, a neighbour who is getting under her skin (some may say she is becoming obsessed by her) and a mother-in-

law coming for dinner. Lilith's relationship with her selfie-obsessed 14-year-old daughter, her overweight son, her good husband who works long hours, her convenience friend Nikki, her mother-in-law Garland who has launched a successful career as a sculptor at 63, are all laid bare. THE UNKNOWN WOMAN is a portrait of a woman who doesn't know who she is anymore and a portrait of modern life. Page Extent: 288 pp Rights Available: English language (excl ANZ), Translation, Audio, Film/TV Agent: Fiona Inglis [email protected] SIMMERING SEASON Jenn McLeod (Simon & Schuster)

Genre: Fiction Description: Back in Calingarry Crossing to sell the family pub, Maggie Lindeman has no idea a perfect storm is heading her way until her past and present collide with the unexpected. Maggie once had a crush on Dan Ireland, now a work-weary police crash investigator, still hell-bent on punishing himself for his misspent youth. Dan has ample reason for not going home to Calingarry Crossing for the school reunion, but one very good reason why he should. Maggie is dealing with a restless seventeen-year-old son, a father with dementia, a fame-obsessed musician husband, a dwindling bank account and a country pub that just won’t sell. The last thing she needs is a surprise houseguest for the summer. Fiona

Bailey-Blair, daughter of an old friend and spoilt with everything but the truth, whips up a maelstrom of gossip when she blows into town. This storm season, when a school reunion brings home more than memories, Maggie Lindeman will discover there’s no keeping a lid on some secrets. Page Extent: 496 pp Rights Available: Film/TV Agent: Clare Forster [email protected]




THE TEA CHEST Josephine Moon (Allen & Unwin)

Genre: Popular fiction Description: Kate Fullerton, talented tea designer and now co-owner of THE TEA CHEST, could never have imagined that she'd be flying from Brisbane to London, risking her young family's future, to save the business she loves from the woman who wants to shut it down. Meanwhile, Leila Morton has just lost her job; and if Elizabeth Clancy had known today was the day she would appear on the nightly news, she might at least have put on some clothes. Both need to move on. When Kate's, Leila's and Elizabeth's paths cross, they throw themselves into realising Kate's vision of the newest and most delectable tea shop in London, THE TEA CHEST. But with the very real possibility that The Tea Chest may fail, the three women are forced to decide what's important to

each of them. An enchanting, witty novel about the unexpected situations life throws at us, and how love and friendship help us through. Written with heart and infused with the seductive scents of bergamot, Indian spices, lemon, rose and caramel, it's a world you won't want to leave. 'What a gloriously wonderful read. I loved it.' Cathy Kelly Page Extent: 368 pp Rights Available: English language (excl ANZ, UK & Commonwealth), Translation, Film/TV Agent: Fiona Inglis [email protected]



NON FICTION AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AT WAR Patsy Adam-Smith (The Five Mile Press)

Genre: Non Fiction Description: When Patsy Adam-Smith wrote AUSTRALIAN WOMEN AT WAR in 1984, her aim was to tap into the memories of all the ‘brave, modest, forgotten women’ while they were still alive, in order to honour them. Now, for the first time, this iconic volume is republished for an entirely new generation of readers. This magnificent work is a history of how Australian women have responded to war – from 1900, when the first nurses sailed to the Boer War, to 1945 and its aftermath. Recording the achievements of our women for all time, it tells of their bravery, self-sacrifice, endurance and devotion. Page Extent: 400 pp

Rights Available: Audio, Film/TV Agent: Clare Forster [email protected] LESS IS MORE Dominique Bertolucci (Hardie Grant)

Genre: Non Fiction Description: Trying to do it all, be it all and have it all is exhausting, but it has become normal to expect this from our lives. All too often people push themselves until they burn out, only to find that the things they struggled for were never that important. LESS IS MORE shows you how to find more time and energy to enjoy the things in life that really do matter. By making small changes in the way you live, you can simplify your life, reduce your stress and improve your health and happiness. Domonique Bertolucci includes thoughtful quotes from leaders, role models and icons alongside ideas and advice on how to make those small, simple changes - learn to say 'no', embrace silence, practise moderation

and rest your mind. These inspirational quotes and ideas will help you transform your life into one you really want to be living. Page Extent: 224 pp Rights Available: Film/TV Agent: Tara Wynne [email protected]




LOVE IN THE OUTBACK Deb Hunt (Pan Macmillan)

Genre: Memoir Description: The true story of an unlikely romance set in the Australian outback. The year before she turned fifty, Deb Hunt stopped dating. She was done with love and sick of chasing men who didn't return her affections. When her most recent flame announced he was marrying someone else, Deb knew it was time to make a change. She landed a job as a marketing assistant with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and left London for the sunshine of Sydney on a mission to find happiness without a mate. But then on a trip to the red-dust town of Broken Hill, she encountered a man unlike any other. A legend of the RFDS, he was practical, steady, financially responsible and conservative -

everything Deb was not. He wanted a relationship. She wanted to flee. Funny, warm, and beautifully told, this is the story of what happens when you ditch your fantasies of romance and discover the truth about love. Page Extent: 336 pp Rights Available: English language (excl ANZ), Translation, Audio, Film/TV Agent: Pippa Masson [email protected] SWEET Alison Thompson (Lantern, Penguin)

Genre: Cookbook Description: This new collection from Alison Thompson, best-selling author of BAKE, celebrates desserts in every delicious form: creamy, fudgy, gooey, molten, fruity, refreshing, chocolatey, crunchy, chewy, light-as-air or sinfully rich. From elaborate show-stoppers to comforting family puddings, Alison's clear, straightforward recipes guarantee sweet success, every time. Page Extent: 236 pp Rights Available: Film/TV Agent: Clare Forster [email protected]




YOUNG ADULT THE SEQUIN STAR Belinda Murrell (Random House)

Genre: Middle grade fiction Description: Everyone in the circus has a secret - Claire's is just more unusual than most . . . After her grandmother falls ill, Claire finds a sequin star among her treasures. Why does Claire's wealthy grandmother own such a cheap piece? The mystery deepens when the brooch hurtles Claire back in time to 1932. Claire finds herself stranded in the camp of Sterling Brothers Circus. She is allowed to stay – if she works hard. The Great Depression has made life difficult for everyone, but Claire makes friends with circus performers Rosina and Jem, and a boy called Kit who comes night after night to watch Rosina perform.

When Kit is kidnapped, it's up to Claire, Rosina and Jem to save him. But Claire is starting to wonder who Kit and Rosina really are. One is escaping poverty and the other is escaping wealth – can the two find happiness together?

Page Extent: 288 pp Rights Available: Film/TV Agent: Pippa Masson [email protected] THE LAST THIRTEEN series James Phelan (Scholastic)

Genre: Middle grade fiction Description: 13 books. 13 nightmares. 1 destiny. I click my fingers and everybody dies. Sam wakes from his nightmare to discover the terrifying reality. It will come true. Kidnapped from school and finding out his parents aren’t who he thinks they are, Sam is suddenly running from danger at every turn. Nothing will ever be the same again. With his life and identity shattered, Sam’s salvation is tied to an ancient prophecy. He is in the final battle to save the world, up against an enemy plotting to destroy us all. He alone can find the last 13.

Are you one of them? Page extent: 208 pp Rights Available: Film/TV Agent: Pippa Masson [email protected]



curtis brown australia rights newsletter may 2014

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