An excerpt from the Giunti Editore publication of Ciriaco Offeddu’s ‘Istella mea,’ publishing on February 12. Image: Giunti Editore, based on an illustration by Alana Jordan, Pixabay
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
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A Mature Debut
At Giunti Editore in Firenze this month, editors Antonio Franchini and Giulia Ichino have attached a note of their own to the PDF sent to us by LeeAnn Bortolussi to introduce Ciriaco Offeddu’s Istella mea.
“The life of an editor is always full of surprises, they write. “After many years of wonderful debuts from young authors, in the span of only few months we have discovered two incredible, mature authors who have been able to imbue their novels with the passions of a lifetime: first Milena Palminteri (Come l’arancio amaro) and now Ciriaco Offeddu with Istella mea.”
“It is not by chance, perhaps,” Franchini and Ichino write, “that both of them hail from islands of Italy (Sicily and Sardinia, respectively), places which continue to give life to their inherent myths and legends.
“Ciriaco Offeddu’s Sardinia opens up onto the world, as does the heart of his protagonist: Istella mea is a novel that recounts one of the most intense love stories of all time, a magical treasure chest inside of which infinite stories unfold onto incredible panoramas and unimaginable adventures. A novel that the reader will fall into, as if in a dream … “
And then, without elaborating, these editors drop in a few lines from Offeddu’s book, centered as you see it on the page here:
“ ‘Where are you?’ I asked as another lamp suddenly went out in the hall.
I felt a cold shiver, but I cannot deny that her voice brought with it
a mysterious pleasure: I was no longer alone, Jaja had returned,
I had my enemy to contend with and a reason to live…”
Wishing you many such doses of elegant wordplay in the year to come, we’ll start with Offeddu’s book, to be published in mid-February, in our roundup today.
As in each roundup, we use some of the sales copy supplied to us by agents and rights directors, editing that copy to give you an idea about a book’s nature and tone, but limiting the promotional elements. If you’d like to submit a deal to Publishing Perspectives, see the instructions at the end of this article.
Istella mea
By Ciriaco Offeddu
- Publisher: Giunti Editore, Florence
- Rights contact: LeeAnn Bortulussi, Giunti Editore
- Book info: Read more here
No reported sales as yet: This book publishes on February 12.
“Some encounters change our lives forever. For Rechella it is Martino, a boy with a fervent imagination, filled with visions so powerful that they allow him to take flight: he is able to see beyond, where the clouds become stormy seas navigated by pirate ships.
“Martino’s grandmother, Jaja, is capable of opening passages in time and space; of telling stories that come alive; of knowing the life secrets of others and molding them as she does the herbs in her kitchen.
Ciriaco Offeddu
“Rechella is in love with Martino and fascinated by Jaja, until a tragedy shows her that Jaja is a sùrbile, in pre-Roman legend, a woman who absorbs the energy of those she loves, in order to increase her own immense vitality. Rechella leaves in order to survive and meets others who join her on the search for the indelible light that not even a sùrbile can destroy.”
Ciriaco Offeddu is a Sardinian writer, an author of fiction, nonfiction, essays, poetry, and articles. An engineer and manager by training, he has served as a president and CEO of various international companies, as well a business consultant and advisor. In 2013, he earned a master’s degree in creative writing from City University, Hong Kong. He is also a documentary director. At present, he lives and works between Sardinia and Southeast Asia.”
Rosa Dolorosa
By Caroline Dorka-Fenech
- Publisher: Editions de la Martinière Littérature, Paris
- Rights contact: Marleen Seegers, 2 Seas Agency
- Book info: Read more here
Reported rights sales:
- World Arabic: Dar Tanween
“A magnetic, dark, and radiant debut novel, whose heroine recalls John Cassavetes’ Gloria and Pasolini’s Mamma Roma.
“Filled with organic, carnal, and poetic images, this book retraces the journey of a mater dolorosa who is on a haunting and devouring quest to prove the innocence of her son.
Caroline Dorka-Fenech
“In Nice, Rosa Messina and her son Lino dream of owning a hotel. She was only 19 when she had him, and they are inseparable. Until, one day, the police comes knocking on their door. Lino is arrested for murder.
In the dark alleys of Nice, Rosa struggles to find clues to prove the innocence of her son. But in this quest that obsesses her, devours her, she starts having intense pain in her legs. Would these wounds be a sign of what she doesn’t want to see? And if Lino is guilty, does her dedication make her a foul, immoral, revolting mother? How far can a mother’s love go?
An implacable plot unfolds through concise, sharp-edged dialogues and written in a language bathed in organic and sensual images. Its complex and paradoxical characters are caught in a net of desire and guilt like dying, sinuous electric jellyfish, and will not be able to escape their tragic fate.”
Those Who Don’t Sleep (a Nash Elizondo novel)
By Dolores Redondo
- Publisher: Editorial Planeta, Barcelona
- Rights contact: Anna Soler-Pont, Pontas Literary & Film Agency
- Book info: Read more here
Reported rights sales:
- Newest – French: Gallimard
- Basque: Erein
- Catalan: Columna
- Galician: Aira Editorial
- Italian: Rizzoli
- Portuguese / Brazil: Planeta
Dolores Redondo
“Since its November 2024 release, this novel has topped Spanish bestseller lists, and an English translation by Michael Meigs will be available for reading in the coming months.
“The story follows forensic psychologist Nash Elizondo, whose investigation into a witchcraft legend in Navarra’s Tranquil Valleys uncovers the body of a girl who had gone missing 3 years earlier.
“Combining scientific inquiry with ancient mysteries, this novel will captivate both new readers and Baztán Trilogy fans.”
Meet the Mubbles
By Liz Pichon
- Publisher: Pan Macmillan Children’s Books, London
- Rights contact: Lauren Robertson, Macmillan Children’s Books
- Book info: Read more here
Reported rights sales:
- Newest – Croatia: Skolska
- The Netherlands: Gottmer
- Hungary: Maxim
Liz Pichon
“Welcome to the Isle of Smile, home of the Mubbles, where the beautiful island runs on sun, wind, and flower power.
“Like the Wibbles of Wobble Mountain, the Earworms, and the one-eyed Drib Drabs, everyone on the Isle of Smile lives in perfect harmony, most of the time. Until the Clouds of Joy bump together, making a wonky rainbow that means one thing.
“Someone or something is coming to visit Time spent with the Mubbles on the Isle of Smile makes everything better.”
Repaint Everything in Blue
(Tout re peint en bleu)
By Marie Halzan
- Publisher: Fugue, Paris
- Rights contact: Magalie Delobelle, So Far So Good Agency
- Book info: Read more here
Reported rights sales:
- Newest – French pocket rights: Le Livre de poche in n pre-empt
- Large print rights: Voir de Près
Marie Halzan is a creative director living in Brittany. This is her debut publication.
Oksi
By Mari Ahokoivu
- Publisher: Asema Kustannus, Helsinki
- Rights contact: Tuomas Sorjamaa, Rights & Brands
- Book info: Read more here
Reported rights sales:
- Newest – World Italian: Barta Edizioni
- Slovenian: VigeVageKnjige
- World English: Levine Querido
“A tale that comes from the heart of Finnish folklore, based on a legend of the bear as the king of the forest, a story of mothers and daughters, stars and myths.
Mari Ahokoivu
“Of the bear cubs, one is not like the others. Poorling is a little bear, but she is a bit different from her brothers.
“A bear mother, Umi, has given birth to her new cubs, however, little Poorling doesn’t resemble her brothers. She looks more like a flame than a bear and is bullied by her siblings. Even their mother is at a loss with the strange bear cub.
Drawing references to Nordic mythology, and to stories ranging from Greece’s Prometheus and The Ugly Duckling, Oksi is by a Finnish artist whose works have been translated into several languages.”
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