Jonathan Cape buys Tim Thornton

Dan Franklin at Cape has snapped up Raft's newest signing, novelist (and drummer) Tim Thornton, acquiring World English Language rights to his debut work of fiction in a substantial two book deal. The books are the completed novel THE ALTERNATIVE HERO - a novel set around the Indie music scene of the 1990s, built around the collision 10 years later between a fan of a now defunct band, and its charismatic former singer - and a work-in-progress THE DEATH OF AN UNSIGNED BAND - which charts the emotional fall out from a band's realisation that its only hope for success is to ditch their no-hoper frontman.

Tim's prose is pin-point perfect and he delivers a clever and subtle plot with great wit and style, like Jonathan Coe for a younger reader. Or possibly the new Nick Hornby. But with a very distincitve voice and presence of his own. His first two novels are both set in and around the music scene - in which Tim has spent most of his adult life. Currently he is the drummer of the highly regarded band FINK.

All other languages are still available - contact Adrian Weston at Raft for information: adrian@raftpr.com