- Simon & Schuster Canada’s Janie Yoon has acquired Canadian rights in English to Craig Shreve’s AFRICAN SAMURAI, a powerful literary historical novel set in late sixteenth century Africa, India, and Japan, based on the true-life story of Yasuke, Japan’s first foreign-born samurai and the only samurai to be of African descent. Publication is expected for Spring/Summer 2023. The deal was arranged by Chris Casuccio of Westwood Creative Artists.
- Tamara Goranson’s THE VINLAND SAGAS series to Mondadori (Italy), by Elisa Beretta at The Italian Literary Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for Emmy Nordstrom Higdon.
- Rohinton Mistry’s FAMILY MATTERS to AST/Neclassics (Russia), by Natalia Sanina at Synopsis Literary Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Bruce Westwood.
- Rohinton Mistry’s FAMILY MATTERS to Mahrousa Center for Publishing, Information and Press Services (Arabic), by Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Bruce Westwood.
- Yann Martel’s LIFE OF PI to Fabula (Azerbaijan), by Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
- Yann Martel’s LIFE OF PI renewed to Inkilap Kitavebi Kitabevi (Turkey), by Atilla Izgi Turgut at Akcali Copyright, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
- Iris Tupholme at HarperCollins Canada has acquired three works of non-fiction by acclaimed award-winning author, journalist, and sought-after speaker Tanya Talaga. The first book will focus on residential schools and the essential reckoning, exploring why the discovery of unmarked graves on residential school grounds has finally resonated with Canadians as well as rest of the world. Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists did the world rights deal, with the first publication slated for 2023.
- Writer-in-residence at Sheridan College and author of THE BUS and BUTTERFLY ON THE WIND Adam Pottle‘s VOICE: ON WRITING WITH DEAFNESS, a memoir and craft book that explores how the author’s deafness has influenced everything about his writing, to Kim Budnick at Tantor, by Emmy Nordstrom Higdon at Westwood Creative Artists.
- Iris Tupholme at HarperCollins Canada has acquired Canadian rights to the memoir BITCOIN WIDOW: LOVE, BETRAYAL, AND THE MISSING MILLIONS by Jennifer Robertson and Stephen Kimber. It explores the fairytale romance Robertson shared with Quadriga founder Gerald Cotton, and the massive investment scandal caused by his unexpected death, that left more than a hundred thousand investors looking for their millions and Jennifer questioning how well she knew her husband. Publication is planned for spring 2022. Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists represented the authors.
- Arsenal Pulp Press publisher Brian Lam has acquired World English rights to IN THE KEY OF DALE, Benjamin Lefebvre’s debut YA novel about a queer sixteen-year-old music prodigy who starts writing letters to his late father. The deal was arranged by Chris Casuccio of Westwood Creative Artists for Fall 2022 publication.
- Michael Ignatieff’s BLOOD AND BELONGING renewal to Shanghai Sanhui Culture & Press Ltd. (China), by Claire Qiao at ANA Beijing, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for Michael Levine. (Note: This is a renewal, but United Agents did the original deal.)
- Eleanor Wachtel’s ORIGINAL MINDS and MORE WRITERS & COMPANY renewed to X-Plex (Korea), by Tae Eun Kim at Shinwon, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
- Stephen Bown’s THE COMPANY to Social Sciences Academic Press (China excluding Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao), by Claire Qiao at Andrew Nurnberg Associates Beijing, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for John Pearce and Chris Casuccio.
- Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired world rights to the picture book MY CAT DOES BALLET by Robert Heidbreder (Roarchestra) introducing readers to ballet terms and famous dancers through history, as a young dancer compares the antics of his pet with those of his friends, culminating in a “cat”astrophe of a ballet. Matt Schu will illustrate. Publication is set for fall 2023; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
- Thomas King’s GREEN GRASS, RUNNING WATER to Jeanne Strømberg and partners at Running Water Productions Ltd., by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Jackie Kaiser.
- Caspian Films Productions Ltd., owned by actor, director and producer Megan Follows, has optioned the film and tv rights to Mary Rubio’s critically acclaimed biography of Lucy Maud Montogomery, THE GIFT OF WINGS. The book chronicles her life from her apparently idyllic childhood in Prince Edward Island and passion-filled adolescence, to her legal fights as a world-famous author, and her shattering experiences with motherhood and as a wife to a deeply troubled man. The deal was arranged by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists on behalf of Jackie Kaiser.
- Allan Levine’s SEEKING THE FABLED CITY, the meticulously researched account of the Jewish experience in Canada, to Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists, on behalf of Hilary McMahon.
- Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook Press has acquired BUTTERFLY ON THE WIND, a picture book by Adam Pottle and illustrated by Ziyue Chen. A Deaf girl signs the word for “butterfly,” sending it off in a breeze that blows through her town, across the country, and over deep waters, touching the lives of Deaf children around the world. Publication is slated for Fall 2023. Emmy Nordstrom Higdon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the artist for world rights.
- Winner of the 2021 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and author of the #1 National Bestseller INDIANS ON VACATION and OBSIDIAN, Thomas King’s DEEP HOUSE, the sixth book in the award-winning DREADFULWATER series, featuring Cherokee ex-cop Thumps DreadfulWater who finds himself tangled once again in an inexplicable mystery when he unintentionally discovers a body at the bottom of a treacherous canyon and an unexpected visitor walks back into his life, to Iris Tupholme at HarperCollins Canada, for publication January 2022, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists (Canada English).
- Rohinton Mistry’s A FINE BALANCE to Mondadori (Italy), by Elisa Beretta at The Italian Literary Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for Bruce Westwood.
- Don Thompson’s THE CURIOUS ECONOMICS OF LUXURY FASHION to Jiangsu Kuwei Culture Development Co., Ltd. (China, excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), by Claire Qiao at ANA Beijing, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for John Pearce.
- Rohinton Mistry’s TALES FROM FIROZSHA BAAG, FAMILY MATTERS, and SUCH A LONG JOURNEY renewed to S. Fischer Verlag (Germany), by Hannah Nuspliger-Fosh at Liepman, on behalf of Meg Wheeler of Westwood Creative Artists for Bruce Westwood.
- Jermey Matthews at The MIT Press has pre-empted World English (excluding Canada and India) rights to Wilfrid Laurier physics professor Shohini Ghose’s (IN)VISIBLE, telling the stories of over twenty frequently unseen, unheralded and under-rewarded women physicists from around the world who transformed science and society despite often wearing a cloak of invisibility throughout their careers. Publication is expected in Spring 2023. The deal was arranged by John Pearce of Westwood Creative Artists. Canadian rights earlier to Random House Canada, also in a pre-empt. Indian rights to Jaico by Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists.
- Oneworld’s Jenny Parrott has acquired World rights to books 7, 8 and 9 in Steve Burrows’ BIRDER MURDER MYSTERY series. The novels feature Detective Chief Inspector Dominic Jejeune, who divides his time between bird watching and policework as he uses his bird-related knowledge to solve crimes. Book 7 is scheduled to publish in spring 2022. The deal was arranged by Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists.
- Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has acquired world rights to BANANA DREAM by Iraqi-Canadian Hasan Namir (The Name I Call Myself), with Zainab Faidhi to illustrate. The picture book is inspired by Namir’s own childhood enduring sanctions in Iraq, and explores a child’s coming to terms with his unusual name against a story of scarcity and want. Publication is planned for summer 2023; Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists represented the author and the illustrator represented herself.
- Author-illustrator of THE OUTLAW and THE RANGER Nancy Vo’s BOOBIES, a lighthearted journey into the world of boobies – the blue-footed avian sort and the more familiar kind that each of us has on our own bodies, to Karen Li at Groundwood Books, for publication in Fall 2022, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists (World).
- Author of HARDY ROSES: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR HIGH LATITUDES AND ALTITUDES, Bob Osborne’s new book, HARDY APPLES, to Julie Takasaki at Firefly Books, for publication in Spring 2022, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists (World). HARDY APPLES is a photographic guide to apple-growing in harsher climates with photography by Beth Powning.
- New York Times bestselling author of THE COLONY OF UNREQUITED DREAMS Wayne Johnston‘s JENNIE’S BOY MY MISFIT CHILDHOOD IN NEWFOUNDLAND, the story of a tragicomic childhood in a part of Newfoundland whose way of life is fast disappearing, to Anne Collins at Knopf Canada, for publication in Fall 2022, by Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists (Canada English).
- Allan Levine’s DETAILS ARE UNPRINTABLE, chronicling the murder of a high society New York woman by her closeted husband, and the elements that culminated in this tragic event, to Three Film and Television Inc., by Michael Levine of Westwood Creative Artists for Hilary McMahon.
