WCA Deal Report for July 12, 2024

By Deals
  • Andrew Boden’s WHEN WE WERE ASHES to Piemme (Italy), by Caterina Galimberti at The Italian Literary Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for John Pearce.
  • Josef Skvorecky’s short stories renewed to Wydawnictwo Czarne (Poland), by Tomasz Berezinski at Graal, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists.
  • Donald Thompson’s THE $12 MILLION STUFFED SHARK to Knigolove (Ukraine), by Tatjana Zoldnere at Eastern European and Asian Rights Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for John Pearce.
  • Timothy Findley’s THE PIANO MAN’S DAUGHTER, HEADHUNTER, AND PILGRIM renewed to Gallimard (France), by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Bruce Westwood.
  • Richard Wagamese’s boxset of INDIAN HORSE, MEDICINE WALK and STARLIGHT to Editions Zoe (World French excl. North America), by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for John Pearce and Chris Casuccio.

Film/TV:

  • Good Entertainment Inc. and Donald Martin Enterprises, Inc. optioned the film and tv rights to Lawrence Scanlan and Birgit Stutz’s book THE RESCUE OF BELLE AND SUNDANCE, the story of two horses, abandoned in the Canadian Rockies, starving and frost-bitten when a snowmobiler spotted them in December. The harrowing story of their rescue—which included hand-digging a trench six feet deep and a kilometre long—gives new life to words such as community, caring and compassion. The deal was arranged by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Jackie Kaiser.
  • Quiet Ghost Productions has optioned the film and TV rights to Charlotte Gray’s THE MASSEY MURDER, the true story of an eighteen year old servant who shot and killed a member of one of Toronto’s most powerful families in 1915. Carrie Davies’ sensational trial laid bare the stresses and schisms within a society and a country struggling towards maturity. The deal was arranged by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Hilary McMahon.

WCA Deal Report for June 21, 2024

By Deals
  • Matt Joudrey from At Bay Press has acquired World rights to Peter Newman’s memoir, an award-winning physician and writer. This collection of compassionate, non-fiction stories set around the world from Canada to the Caribbean and Golan Heights, and from the Arctic to Africa, in both peacetime and war, provides a window into the privileged, intimate world of the doctor-patient relationship, for publication in Spring 2026, by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists.
  • Ken Sutherland from Sutherland House has acquired World rights to Drs. Jean and Alastair Carruthers’ memoir, about the love and life partnership of two medical doctors, initially thought crazy for even considering botulinum toxin as a therapy, and then adulated and revered for their courage and contribution to the medical and cosmetic lexicon, for publication in Spring 2026, by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists.

WCA Deal Report for June 14, 2024

By Deals

Film/TV:

  • Shotglass Productions has optioned the film and TV rights to Caroline Adderson‘s novel, MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, about two young brothers whose mother doesn’t return home one night. In order to escape the foster care system, they run away up north with an elderly neighbour and find themselves, first in paradise, then in worse trouble than they could ever have imagined. The deal was arranged by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Jackie Kaiser.

WCA Deal Report for June 7, 2024

By Deals
  • Bestselling author of WHAT WE BURIED Robert Rotenberg’s ONE MINUTE MORE, an unstoppable thriller set in 1988 when—a mere 99 hours before world leaders gather in Toronto for the G7 summit—police get a hot tip that an assassin is on the way, for fans of Lee Child and Brad Thor, to Adrienne Kerr at Simon & Schuster Canada by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists for publication in Spring 2025.

Film/TV:

  • Collingwood Film Company has optioned the film and TV rights to Douglas Hunter’s book GOD’S MERCIES, about the mutiny aboard Henry Hudson’s Discovery in James Bay, and the quest by Samuel de Champlain to travel up the Ottawa River and collect from the Nebicerini people a captive English boy who may have been Hudson’s son. The deal was arranged by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Hilary McMahon and Martyn Krys of FilmLegals Entertainment on behalf of Jesse Thomas Cook.

WCA Deal Report for May 17, 2024

By Deals

Foreign:

  • Kathryn Nicolai’s NOTHING MUCH HAPPENS to Qanun (Azerbaijan), by Tatjana Zoldnere at Eastern European and Asian Rights Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
  • Jay Ingram’s THE SCIENCE OF WHY 5 audio to Beijing Green Beans Book Co. Ltd. (China), by Conor Cheng & Jessica Wu at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
  • Josef Skvorecky’s THE ENGINEER OF HUMAN SOULS to Alpha Books Co., (China), by Jessica Wu & Conor Cheng at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists.
  • Yann Martel’s LIFE OF PI renewed to Prometheus (Netherlands), by Marlous Mettes at Marianne Schonbach Literary Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.

Film/TV:

  • Sahand Moarefy has optioned the film and TV rights to John Little’s biography of Mike Mentzer. This biography, written by Mentzer’s close friend of 21 years, is the first to appear in North America. Drawing upon audio recordings, letters, diary excerpts, as well as interviews with those closest to him, this is the true story of a man who stood up to the fitness industry – and paid the ultimate price for it. The deal was arranged by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists.

WCA Deal Report for May 10, 2024

By Deals
  • Therapist and author of the Good Morning America favorite GOOD MORNING, MONSTER, Catherine Gildiner’s new collection of cases, blending the stories of eight memorable patients compromised by dysfunctional bonds with their parents with an insightful, moving, often humorous behind-the-scenes account of the therapeutic process, again to Elisabeth Dyssegaard at St. Martin’s Press, in a good deal, for publication in fall 2026, by Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists (NA English). 

WCA Deal Report for April 26, 2024

By Deals
  • Laura Dosky from Penguin Canada has acquired world rights to Mark Critch’s novel BREACHING and an untitled non-fiction book from Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists. The novel tells the story of Frank Hearn who is tasked with holding forty-eight Nazis after a German U-boat is surrendered off the coast of Newfoundland, and keeping the villagers from killing them before help comes from St. John’s, for publication in Spring 2026.
  • Simon Thibault and Susanne Alexander at Goose Lane Editions have acquired World English and North American French rights to Amy Fish’s ONE IN SIX MILLION from Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists. This is the researched, non-fiction account of how an amateur genealogist helped a complete stranger find her true identity, seven decades after being abandoned in a ditch during World War I.  The book is scheduled for publications in Spring 2025.

WCA Deal Report for April 19, 2024

By Deals
  • Doug Pepper, Publisher of Signal/McClelland & Stewart, has bought World (excl. French) rights to author of THE DUEL John Ibbitson’s CRUCIBLE, the first-ever comprehensive social, political and military history of Canada in the First World War, to be published in 2027. The deal was arranged by John Pearce at Westwood Creative Artists.
  • Arthur Ellis Award winner Dean Jobb’s MURDER IN THE CARDS, a real-life whodunit investigating the unsolved murder of a famed Jazz Age bridge expert—at a time when the game was all the rage—that immerses readers in the high society glamor of Manhattan and Palm Beach and aims to answer the century-old question: Who killed Joe Elwell? to Amy Gash at Algonquin, in an exclusive submission, for publication in fall 2027, by Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists (world). Canadian rights sold to Janice Zawerbny at HarperCollins, by Algonquin.

Foreign rights:

  • Craig Shreve’s THE AFRICAN SAMURAI to One More Page/Fabula (Ukraine), by Tatjana Zoldnere at Eastern European and Asian Rights Agency Ltd., on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Chris Casuccio.
  • Roy Ratnavel’s PRISONER #1056 to Discovery Publications (India), by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists.
  • Josef Skvorecky’s THE MOURNFUL DEMEANOUR OF LIEUTENANT BORUVKA to Braumüller Verlag (Germany), by Susanne Schettler at Liepman, on behalf of Meg Wheeler.
  • Yann Martel’s THE HIGH MOUNTAINS OF PORTUGAL renewed to Frassinelli (Italy), by Caterina Galimberti at The Italian Literary Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler for Jackie Kaiser.

WCA Deal Report for March 15, 2024

By Deals
  • Bestselling children’s author and TV writer and showrunner (Family Law) Susin Nielsen’s laugh-out-loud adult debut SNAP about three unlikely people, a children’s author, an auto mechanic and a wardrobe assistant, who meet and bond in court-mandated anger management class and together decide what they’re going to do about the events that put them there – to move on or exact revenge, to Jennifer Lambert at HarperCollins Canada in a six-figure two book deal, for publication in Spring 2025 by Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists (Canada English).
  • Scott McIntyre’s as yet untitled memoir covering his 50 year career in Canadian publishing, including founding and building Douglas & McIntyre, one of the country’s most important publishing houses, and much more, to Jack David at ECW Press, for Fall 2025 publication, by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists (world).
  • Clive Priddle at Public Affairs has acquired world rights to consultants Devin DeCiantis & Ivan Lansberg’s THE ENDURING ENTERPRISE: HOW FAMILY BUSINESSES THRIVE IN TURBULENT CONDITIONS, which draws on real cases in developing Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East to provide business leaders with new and unique adaptive strategies for a world of greater uncertainty and volatility. Publication is October 2024; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists inked the deal.

Foreign:

  • Yann Martel’s LIFE OF PI renewed to Exmo (Russia), by Natalia Sanina at Synopsis Literary Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
  • Yann Martel’s LIFE OF PI renewed to Nha Nam Publishing (Vietnam), by Santo Manurung at Maxima Creative, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
  • Yann Martel’s LIFE OF PI renewed to D.C. Books (Malayalam), by Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
  • Jay Ingram’s THE SCIENCE OF WHY 3 renewed to Beijing Green Beans Book Co. Ltd. (China), by Conor Cheng at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, on behalf of Meg Wheeler for Jackie Kaiser.
  • Yann Martel’s LIFE OF PI (Illustrated edition) renewed to Yilin Press (China), by Conor Cheng at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, on behalf of Meg Wheeler for Jackie Kaiser.

WCA Deal Report for February 16, 2024

By Deals
  • Strange Light’s Haley Cullingham has acquired North American rights to Ailsa Ross’ HOVEL. The debut novel traces a year in the life of a restless woman who resists the temptation to run away from her dishevelled life, and tries instead to make a familiar world unfamiliar, and a small life big, for fans of Lauren Groff’s MATRIX, Claire-Louise Bennett’s POND, Kyo Maclear’s BIRDS ART LIFE, Sheila Heti’s MOTHERHOOD, and Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s A GHOST IN THE THROAT. The deal was arranged by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists.

  • Sarah Howden at Orca Book Publishers has acquired world rights to author of LITTLE NARWHAL, NOT ALONE Tiffany Stone’s THE DAY DANCER FLEW, a picture book inspired by real events, about a young girl who works to rescue her horse after a devastating flood, showing the power of a community to help both humans and animals during natural disasters. Brittany Lane has illustrated, for publication in spring 2024. Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented Stone in the deal.

  • Deborah Gonzalez at NavPress has acquired world rights to Karen Stiller’s HOLINESS HERE: SEARCHING FOR GOD IN THE ORDINARY EVENTS OF EVERYDAY LIFE, in which Stiller (THE MINISTER’S WIFE) offers inspiring and practical ways to find holiness, weaving together captivating stories, theological insights and spiritual reflections. Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists negotiated the deal, for publication in spring 2024.