Transit Lounge acquires Jenny Ackland’s “NORA”

Transit Lounge has acquired world rights to NORA, the fourth novel by author and podcaster Jenny Ackland, via the Jane Novak Literary Agency.

Ackland, who lived and worked in Osaka in the early 1990s, said the novel draws on that period of her life. “I always knew I’d revisit that time and write my ‘Japan’ book,” she said. “The novel is about how love dies, how the past travels with us, and how hard it can be to redeem even if we’re lucky enough to be offered a second chance.”

Publisher Barry Scott described the novel as “deeply nuanced and moving”, praising its portrayal of Japan and its exploration of language and translation. “The protagonist will always be one of my favourite characters in Australian literature,” said Scott. “She is intelligent, funny, insecure, occasionally maddening, and so real.”

Ackland’s second novel, Little Gods (A&U, 2018), was shortlisted for the 2019 Stella Prize. Her other novels are The Secret Son (A&U, 2015) and Hurdy Gurdy (A&U, 2024).

Transit Lounge plans to publish NORA in October 2027.

Category: Local news Rights and acquisitions