IN DEPTH T


his is my 10th Frankfurt Book Fair, and I’m mainly relieved not to be wearing a


suit, as I did to my first. As ever, I’m looking forward to catching up with international friends and colleagues, whether that be at a meeting, over a delicious but overpriced beer at the Frankfurter Hof, or at the Ethiopian restaurant—a happy alternative to another evening of Frankfurt’s (in) famous “Grüne Sosse”. In terms of rights, A M Heath has


a particularly strong non-fiction list going into the fair this year. We’re getting lots of interest in Te Matter of Memory, a smart popular neuroscience title that explains why there really is no difference between mind and matter, by professor of psychiatry and consultant psychiatrist Veronica O’Keane. I’m also excited and galvanised by How to Make a Difference, the definitive guide to activism by the founders of One Young World [a global forum for young leaders aged 18 to 30]. It’s a truly international project, and a practical guide to the acts we can all undertake that will make a difference and lead to social change. It feels particularly timely. A M Heath will be 100 next year,


Rising Stars Class of 2018


Alexandra McNicoll A M Heath, director of foreign rights


and one of the fun things about an agency that’s been around this long is selling rights to, and relaunching, incredible classics and “undiscovered” gems. We’ve been having fun with Te Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (look out for the Netfllix adaptation, out later this month), and with a Bulgarian novella from the 1960s by Georgi Markov, Te Portrait of My Double, soon to be released as a Penguin Modern Classic. Markov was assassinated by a poison-tipped umbrella in 1978, which adds some drama to the story… I think it might be overly optimistic


to hope for half an hour away from the LitAg, but I’d like to catch Kamila Shamsie, who will be in conversation about her novel Home Fire, and discussing the importance of a prize that honours women’s literature. In any case, the thrill of Frankfurt


remains undimmed for me. Partly because of the buzz of the deals, discussing what’s “hot”, and hearing about international publishing trends. But most importantly, it’s about the shared enthusiasm for the authors and the writing—I always come home with a list of brilliant new books I can’t wait to read, and feeling energised about my job.


I’m looking forward


to building even more


international friendships, both in the


halls and at the parties afterwards


Carrie Plitt Felicity Bryan Associates, agent


F


I’m looking forward to building even more international friendships, both in the halls and at the parties afterwards


or a long time I was desperate to go to Frankfurt. Each October, I would watch


enviously as my colleagues returned bleary-eyed, reminiscing about late nights at some magical-seeming place called “Te Hof”. Last year I joined Felicity Bryan Associates as an agent, and I was finally able to go. I loved it. Te back-to-back meetings were


intense and I got very little sleep— partly due to a few too many biers at said Hof, and partly due to a train line that seemed to run directly under our hotel room. But I loved the energy that came with most of publishing descending on one city. I ate some genuinely good schnitzel, got to talk about books all day and finally had a chance to meet many of the foreign publishers and sub-agents we work with, who are so essential to our authors’ success. Tis year, I’m looking forward to


24 10th October 2018


re-connecting with the people I met last year and building even more international friendships, both in the halls and at the parties afterwards. Some of the books I’m excited


to pitch are David Robson’s Te Intelligence Trap, an entertaining and enlightening smart-thinking book about why smart people make stupid mistakes—Hodder pre-empted last year and will publish in March; Commonwealth by Farhan Samanani, a wide-ranging and important study of how we live with diversity that is currently out on submission in the UK; Susan Golombok’s We Are Family, a wonderfully human investigation of modern families by an expert in the field; and Will Eaves’ beautiful and intelligent novel Murmur, which has just been shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize. Perhaps most importantly, this


year I will be bringing ear plugs and an eye mask, and going to bed earlier.


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