Transit Lounge acquires Hawthorn’s next novel

Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to High Land, a novel by Sarah Hawthorn, via Sally Bird at Calidris Literary Agency.

According to the publisher, High Land follows Annie, who takes part in a tandem skydiving activity that goes wrong. Her instructor loses his life, and Annie regains consciousness but doesn’t recognise her parents.

“Confined to her parents’ house in the Southern Highlands, Annie realises there is more to her own story than she could ever have imagined,” the publisher said. “At all costs, she must escape and travel abroad to discover the truth about who she really is.”

Based in Bundanoon in NSW’s Southern Highlands, Hawthorn is the author of The Dilemma (Bloodhound, 2022) and Love. Camera. Action (Literary Wanderlust, 2025). Her debut psychological thriller, A Voice in the Night (Transit Lounge, 2021), has been optioned for film by Staple Films, Australia.

Hawthorn said, “High Land was inspired by my daughter during Covid, who fancied a book about a skydive going horribly wrong – and in turn, I escaped the lockdown blues by taking my characters on banned travels in Australia, Scotland, England, New Zealand, Hungary, Estonia and more!”

Transit Lounge publisher Barry Scott said, “Hawthorn truly knows the art of mystery, the unexpected female character and the intriguing premise. She is brilliant at keeping the reader on tenterhooks.”

Transit Lounge plans to publish High Land in late 2026.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions