S&S acquires world rights to Barry quartet
Simon & Schuster Australia has acquired world rights to The Northshine Quartet, a new contemporary series by Amy Barry, in a deal brokered by Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
S&S adult rights director Amy Fletcher described the international response to the quartet as “astonishing”, with auctions and pre-empts “in a staggering 22 languages within three weeks of initial submission.”
The four-book series centres on the four Harkness sisters in the years following their youngest sister’s disappearance.
Northshine, the first book, follows eldest sister Mira, who has moved to their family home on the beautiful, windswept coast on Nantucket to care for their dying mother. “There is a rekindled romance with a childhood love, a family curse, and a reckoning on the horizon,” said the announcement.
“The story is threaded through with the dual narrative of Brigid, an ancestor accused of witchcraft on the island, centuries before. Both women must learn to balance duty with freedom, and come to trust the magic in love. Each book in the series will draw the reader closer to solving the mystery of the youngest Harkness sister’s disappearance.”
Publisher Anthea Bariamis said, “I am beyond thrilled by the extraordinary response to this stunning new series – it is at once heart-wrenching, mystical and all consuming, and I can’t wait for readers to meet these characters, who will stay with them forever. I’m so thrilled for Amy, and so grateful to our amazing rights team for all their incredible work and passion.”
Barry said: ‘It’s so exciting to be able to share the magic of Northshine with the world. I’m so in love with this story of sisterhood, love lost and found, family, mystery and magic, and I’m thrilled it’s found a home with such incredible publishers.”
Barry is associate professor in creative writing at Flinders University in Adelaide. Using the pen name of Amy Matthews, she is the author of Someone Else’s Bucket List, Best, First and Last and the forthcoming The House on Tinker Street.
According to the publisher, UK & Commonwealth rights (ex ANZ) have been pre-empted by Phoebe Morgan at Simon & Schuster UK. Translation rights have so far sold in Brazil (Rocco), Croatia (auction ongoing), Czechia (auction ongoing), Denmark (Alpha Forlag), Estonia (Varrak), Finland (Otava), France (Leduc), Germany (Rowohlt), Hungary (Agave), Israel (Keter), Italy (Newton Compton), Netherlands (LS), Norway (Aschehoug), Poland (at auction) Portugal (at auction), Romania (at auction), Serbia (at auction), Slovakia (Tatran), Slovenia (Ucila), Spain (Planeta), Sweden (HarperCollins), Ukraine (at auction).
Northshine is scheduled for release in 2027.
Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions
