BARBARA LARSON OF LONGACRE PRESS REPORTS GREAT NEWS:

The 2007 Young Adult category winner of the New Zealand Post Book Awards, Bernard Beckett’s novel Genesis, published by Longacre Press in 2006, has been sold to UK publisher Quercus for £100,000 in a deal that is a record sale of any NZ Young Adult title.

Beckett’s Australian publisher, Text Publishing, has sold the award-winning novel to Quercus for £100,000 (NZ$250,000).

Michael Heyward, publisher at Text described Genesis as ‘a terrifying thriller which is also a profound novel of ideas. It is by any measure the most original YA novel we have ever read’.

Anthony Cheetham, Publisher at Quercus, described it as a great deal. ‘Our team loves the book and is very excited about publishing Genesis.’

Anthony Cheetham has since accepted a $50,000 CDN pre-empt from McLelland & Stewart in Canada.

Cappelen has offered £15,000 GBP for Norwegian rights.

Spanish rights went to Salamandra for €25,000,

Italian rights went to Fabbri (Rizzoli) for €25,000,

and French rights to Gallimard Jeunesse for £22,000 GBP.

The Bookseller is reporting that GENESIS is THE book of the Bologna Book Fair.

Longacre Press are planning a reprint with a new cover and will release Genesis to the trade as a crossover book. UK publisher Quercus plans simultaneous adult and young adult editions.