Bidding war sees Catherine Chidgey’s ninth novel snapped up by major British publisher

Rights to internationally acclaimed New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey’s ninth novel, The Book of Guilt, have been bought by UK publishing house John Murray at a contested auction which will see the novel published in New Zealand and globally in May 2025.

John Murray is one of Britain’s most esteemed publishers. Established in 1768, its publishing canon includes Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, Jane Austen’s Emma, Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and more recently Booker shortlisted Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies and Stephen Hawking’s final book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions.

New Zealand rights for The Book of Guilt remain with Te Herenga Waka University Press, the publishing house behind Catherine Chidgey since her first novel In A Fishbone Church, was published in 1998.

Te Herenga Waka University Press publisher Fergus Barrowman says Catherine Chidgey’s global popularity will be lifted stratospherically with the might of John Murray behind her.

‘John Murray’s acquisition of Catherine’s The Book of Guilt is a significant turning point in her career. I could not be happier for Catherine, an extremely hard-working and gifted author who, through the critically acclaimed success of her previous books such as Pet and The Axeman’s Carnival, has more than earned her place on the world stage.

‘I look forward to working with the team at John Murray to develop a strategy for The Book of Guilt’s global launch in May next year,’ says Mr Barrowman.

Rights to The Book of Guilt have already been sold to Reagan Arthur for her new Hachette Book Group US imprint, as well as Knopf in Canada, Penguin Random House in Australia and Heyne in Germany.

Catherine Chidgey says she is delighted to be joining John Murray and to see The Book of Guilt strike a chord with so many stellar international publishers. ‘I like to challenge myself with each new book, and I can’t wait for readers to engage with this story – my first foray into dystopian fiction,’ she says.

Catherine says she is excited to be working with Te Herenga Waka University Press for The Book of Guilt and sharing this story with Aotearoa New Zealand readers. ‘Fergus and the team at Te Herenga Waka University Press have been devoted champions of my writing right from the beginning when I was a nervous first-time author twenty-six years ago,’ she says.

In a sinisterly skewed version of England in 1979, thirteen-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents of a New Forest children’s home, part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme. Each day the boys must take medicine to protect themselves from a mysterious illness to which many of their friends have succumbed. Children who survive are allowed to move to the Big House in Margate, a destination of mythical proportions, desired by every Sycamore child. Meanwhile, in Exeter, Nancy lives a secluded life with her parents, who never let her leave the house. As the government looks to shut down the Sycamore homes and place their residents into the community, the triplets’ lives begin to intersect with Nancy’s, culminating in revelations that will rock the children to the core.

John Murray publishing director Nicholas Pearson says reading Catherine Chidgey’s The Book of Guilt was one of the most memorable and haunting reading experiences he’s had. ‘Its daring plot ticks down like a dangerous timepiece, all the while throwing light on the dark complexities of human nature. We are thrilled and proud to bring this outstanding writer to the John Murray list,’ he says.

Catherine Chidgey’s many accolades include two Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction wins, two Women’s Prize longlistings and four International Dublin Literary Award nominations.