Bakers Lane acquires Jones’s “Swimming Backwards”

Bakers Lane Books has acquired world rights to the novel Swimming Backwards by Helen Jones.

Swimming Backwards, which was shortlisted for the publisher’s inaugural Fearless Prize, tells the story of grieving mother Esther “who is desperately searching for answers following her 19-year-old son Joe’s death by suicide … convinced Joe’s angelic-looking girlfriend Freya is somehow to blame”.

Jones holds a Graduate Diploma in Communications in Creative Writing from the University of Technology, Sydney and is currently a communications coach for a large corporation. She has previously worked as a corporate writer and oncology social worker. Jones is based in Sydney and lives with her young adult triplets and two dogs.

The author said, “Being shortlisted for the inaugural Fearless Prize was enough to make my year, but getting a publishing contract feels incredible. I don’t know how many iterations I went through for Swimming Backwards, and it’s so gratifying to see all that hard work pay off.”

Publisher Ginny Grant said, “Among the wealth of manuscripts we received for the 2026 Fearless Prize, Swimming Backwards is one that stood out and the characters stayed with me. It is a study of loss and denial and ultimately a story about the courage it takes to uncover the truth.”

Swimming Backwards is scheduled for release in May 2027.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions