Transworld buys Italian 'Chocolat'

09.06.14 | Sarah Shaffi - The Bookseller

Transworld has paid a “healthy five-figure advance” at auction for world English rights to an Italian bestseller.
Senior commissioning editor Harriet Bourton acquired rights to The Secret Ways of Perfume by Cristina Caboni from Laura Ceccacci of the Laura Ceccacci Agency.

The book, billed as “Chocolat with perfume”, reached number one in the Italian bestseller list at the beginning of May, said Transworld.
The book tells the story of a woman’s gift for creating perfume and her search for a lost recipe created by her great-great-grandmother.

Bourton said: “The Secret Ways of Perfume is an enchanting, sweet and sensuous story. We’ve seen a building interest in original, quality translated fiction, and Transworld has an impressive track record for bringing international bestsellers successfully to the UK market.
“We look forward to upholding that tradition with Cristina’s brilliant novel, which will appeal to readers of Kate Morton and Victoria Hislop and well beyond.”

Transworld will publish The Secret Ways of Perfume as a Black Swan paperback original in early summer 2015