Allen & Unwin (A&U) has acquired ANZ rights to Fancy Meeting You Here from superstar duo Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus.
Evie is a thirty-year-old wannabe screenwriter who spends her days managing a London cinema bar, working on a podcast with her best friend Ben, and reading Hugo Hearst’s books on repeat.
She’s on-again, off-again with a man who will never measure up to the romantic heroes of the books and movies she loves, so she often fantasises about meeting Hugo—and she may have written the odd fanmail . . . or eight. After all, what could be more perfect than a love story with the most swoon-worthy, internationally bestselling writer of our time?
When Evie and Ben interview a psychic to the stars on their podcast, Evie is launched ten years into the past—but the grass isn’t quite as green as she remembers . . .
A&U publisher Kelly Fagan said of the acquisition, ‘I’ve long been a fan of Ali and Michelle’s work, both previous books The Book Ninja and While You Were Reading, as well as their highly inventive Books on the Rail campaigns, so it is truly a delight to be working with them at Allen & Unwin. Their new book, Fancy Meeting You Here, with its literary London setting and blissful blend of magic, comedy and romance, is the perfect remedy to life right now. Our staff have embraced this new book, and Ali & Michelle as authors, and we’re all so excited to share Fancy with existing and new readers.’
Rights were acquired from agent Benython Oldfield of Zeitgeist Agency, who said, ‘Writing duo, Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus are back with a new bookish romp with the haywire Evie Berry at the centre, which will make you yelp with laughter at her obsessions while grimacing at her knocks as she seeks out romance with a mega-famous but vexatious writer. Allen & Unwin and publisher Kelly Fagan went full throttle to win this book and I couldn’t be happier with the company-wide reception and enthusiasm to grow Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus into Australia’s No1 rom-com writers.’
Fancy Meeting You Here by Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus will be published in December 2021.