HarperCollins buys Jon Fink

Jon Fink's new novel A STORM IN THE BLOOD has been bought by Calvert Morgan, the editorial director of HarperPerennial North America. Cal published Jon's first novel FURTHER ADVENTURES at St. Martin's Press, so it is really nice to bring them back together for Jon's 5th novel - expecially as HarperPerennial will also be bringing a revised edition of FURTHER AVENTURES back into print at the same time as A STORM IN THE BLOOD in Spring 2009.

A STORM IN THE BLOOD is a striking account of the Houndsditch murders and the Siege of Sidney Street - dramatic events in the history of London's East End. The notorious Houndsditch Murders - the killing of three unarmed London policemen in 1910 by a group of Latvian anarchists became one of the most infamous and sensational crimes of the era. The three men and the mysterious 'woman in a shawl' whose jewellery store heist the police had intercepted led to an unprecedented manhunt and ultimately the so-called Siege of Sidney Street by hundreds of armed soldiers called in by the then home-secretary Winston Churchill. But two of the 'criminals' were not in the property where the siege took place. The tall, urbane villain, Peter the Painter and his mistress Rivka - a young Jewish refugee and singer from the Yiddish theatre - had simply vanished. They vanished into the East End and into London-lore.

A Storm in the Blood is the story of the heist, of the time and of Peter & Rivka - it is a strong and sweeping narrative filled with strange echoes of the world to come, to cities plagued by the fear of terrorism and poisoned by suspicion of foreigners, immigrants and refugees. It is a potent and exciting book.

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

GORDON KERR: DEAD ENDS

Gordon Kerr's lively (pun intended) anthology of notable deaths DEAD ENDS has been bought by David Cashion for his new imprint at Abrams in North America. David, formerly of Penguin Viking, will be developing the packaging for a jacketed hardback with a two colour, illustrated page design. Very pleased to have secured such an enthusiastic deal in English for DEAD ENDS. There is a possibility that it will be retitled, but I will update this accordingly

Clare Sudbery: DANCE YOUR WAY TO PSYCHIC SEX

Clare Sudbery's energetic and insightful social comedy DANCE YOUR WAY TO PSYCHICH SEX has been picked up in German language markets by the wonderful Barbara Heinzius for the Random House Germany imprint Manhattan.

Tim Thornton: THE ALTERNATIVE HERO

We are also poised to announce a deal on Tim Thornton's debut novel THE ALTERNATIVE HERO - watch this space.