PRH acquires Madden’s first adult novel

Penguin Random House Australia (PRH) has acquired world rights to debut adult novel Quite the Pair from author Tobias Madden, via a deal brokered by Claire Friedman at InkWell Management and PRH publishing executive Chris Ebbs.

Quite the Pair follows best friends Austin and Sydney, who get dumped by their respective partners on the same night. They decide to move in with each other and not date any new men during the year-long lease. According to the publisher, Quite the Pair is ‘a funny and moving novel about how friendships change in your 30s and finding your place in the world’.

Madden authored YA novels Anything But Fine; Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell; and Wrong Answers Only (all Penguin). Anything But Fine was awarded an Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature in the category for older readers, shortlisted for ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children, and named one of Better Reading’s Top 50 Kids’ Books. In the US, the title was also included on Bank Street College of Education’s list of Best Children’s Books of the Year.

Originally from Ballarat, the author now lives in New York City. ‘Tobias is a passionate member of the #LoveOzYA and LGBTQ+ communities, and he currently works full-time in book marketing,’ added the publisher.

Discussing his adult debut, Madden said, ‘Like all my books, Quite the Pair is a deeply personal tale: a fictional narrative woven from authentic, real-life threads. I hope readers will laugh and cry with my two imperfect 30-something protagonists as they try – like all of us – to figure out their place in the world and in each other’s lives.’

Ebbs said, ‘Quite the Pair is laugh-out-loud funny and so well observed – I can’t wait for readers to discover it. And for anyone figuring out how to keep old friends while discovering a new life for yourself, there might be some poignant, tearjerker moments, too. I just know readers are going to fall in love with Austin and Sydney like I did.’

PRH plans to release Quite the Pair in August 2026.

Category: Local news News Rights and acquisitions