- Greystone Books has acquired world rights to SQUARE THE PUCK, a follow-up to Randi Druzin’s bestseller BETWEEN THE PIPES, profiling 12 legendary goalies and their unique personality traits, ranging from Carey Price and Marc Andre Fleury to Grant Fuhr and Tony Esposito. Publication is set for fall 2023; Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists inked the deal.
- Author of MISSING NIMAMA Melanie Florence and author of DOWNSIDE UP Richard Scrimger‘s AUTUMN BIRD AND THE RUNAWAY, a middle grade novel told in alternating narratives about two kids from different worlds whose unexpected friendship is a lens to explore identity and compassion, to Anne Shone at Scholastic Canada, for publication in summer 2022, by Amy Topkins at Transatlantic Literary Agency for Florence and Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists for Scrimger (world).
- Yash Kesanakurthy from HarperCollins Canada has acquired World rights to Kevin and Basil Sylvester’s THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING ZED! In this sequel to THE FABULOUS ZED WATSON, Zed and Gabe have a chance to score a big jackpot. All they have to do is spend three nights in a haunted house. Easy! Except there are more than ghosts hidden in the walls. The deal was done by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists for publication in Fall 2024. Contact Lisa Rundle at HarperCollins Canada for rights: lisa.rundle@harpercollins.com
- Chinese Canadian writer, musician, and filmmaker, and author of THIS CITY IS A MINEFIELD Aaron Chan‘s THE BROKEN HEART; this tender book with identity-inspired LGBTQ2S+ themes is the story of a young girl who likes to fix things, and who sets out to help her brother mend his heart after his relationship with his boyfriend has ended, illustrated by Josiane Vlitos, to Lauri Hornik at Rocky Pond Books, for publication in spring 2024, by Emmy Nordstrom Higdon at Westwood Creative Artists for the author and illustrator (world).
- Harvard-trained cultural psychologist and Pushcart-nominated writer Christine Ma-Kellams‘s THE BAND, after a K-Pop band member’s latest song inadvertently ruffles the political feathers of three East Asian superpowers, he hides out in the McMansion of a Chinese American psychologist with a savior complex, whom he meets in an H-Mart; meanwhile, in his absence, the band’s producer reflects on his previous creation—a girl group who he built from scratch to stardom before their tragic disbanding, to Loan Le at Atria, in a pre-empt, by Emmy Nordstrom Higdon at Westwood Creative Artists (world).
- Random House Canada’s Craig Pyette has acquired Canadian English rights to Luis Najera’s DARK CORNERS. The memoir tells the story of the author’s life with the drug cartels of Mexico – growing up amidst their influence, reporting on their atrocities as a journalist, witnessing Calderón’s war on drugs from a position within the police force, fleeing to Canada to save his family from criminal threats, and the hardships of finding his and his family’s way in a new country and new language. Publication is expected for spring 2024. The deal was arranged by Chris Casuccio and John Pearce of Westwood Creative Artists.
- Elizabeth Philips at Thistledown Press has acquired English Canadian rights to author of WAITING FOR COLUMBUS Thomas Trofimuk’s THE ELEPHANT ON KARLUV BRIDGE. Narrated by the 600-year-old Charles Bridge, the novel follows Sal, an elephant who has escaped from the Prague Zoo, and the people she meets in the night, all wrestling with profound questions about life and love. Publication is set for August 2022; Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists inked the deal.
- Rohinton Mistry’s SUCH A LONG JOURNEY to Beijing Publishing Group Ltd. (China), by Claire Qiao at Andrew Nurnberg Associates Beijing, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Bruce Westwood.
- Alice Kuiper’s LIFE ON THE REFRIGERATOR DOOR to Daugavpils Teatris (Latvia), by Tatjana Zoldnere at Andrew Nurnberg Associates Baltic, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
- Rohinton Mistry’s A FINE BALANCE renewed to Book Asia Publishers (Korea), by Tae Eun Kim at Shinwon Agency, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Bruce Westwood.
- Nikki Ray Media Agency has acquired scripted rights to Jennifer Robertson’s bestselling memoir BITCOIN WIDOW, about the fairy-tale romance she shared with Quadriga founder Gerald Cotten, and the massive investment scandal caused by his unexpected death that left more than 100,000 investors looking for their millions and Jennifer questioning how well she knew her husband. The deal was arranged by Max Tremblay at Westwood Creative Artists for Hilary McMahon.
- Scholastic Canada’s Anne Shone has acquired world rights to Kern Carter’s IS THERE A BOY LIKE ME. The middle-grade novel tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who creates a video series that explores what his life would be like if he could truly be who he wanted to be; when the vlog goes viral, it starts a global conversation about what being a boy really means. Publication is expected for fall 2024. The deal was arranged by Chris Casuccio of Westwood Creative Artists.
- Dan Lubetkin at Corner Lot Media has optioned the film rights to Kim Fu’s story #CLIMBNATION from LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS OF THE 21ST CNETURY, about an obsessed fan who crashes the memorial of her favorite influencer after he dies in a suspicious rock-climbing accident, only to uncover a dark revenge plot. The deal was arranged by Max Tremblay at Westwood Creative Artists for Jackie Kaiser.
- Michael Ignatieff’s ON CONSOLATION to Kristeligt Dagblads Forlag (Denmark), by Monique Oosterhof at MO Literary Services, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Michael Levine.
- Rahaf Mohammed’s REBEL to Rahva Raamat (Estonia), by Tatjana Zoldnere at Andrew Nurnberg Associates Baltic, on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for Chris Casuccio and John Pearce.
- Richard Wagamese’s MEDICINE WALK renewed to Editions Zoe (French), by Marie-France Heinic at Anna Jarota Agency on behalf of Meg Wheeler at Westwood Creative Artists for John Pearce and Chris Casuccio.
- Karen Li at Groundwood Books bought world rights to THE LITTLE GREEN ENVELOPE by Gillian Sze (MY LOVE FOR YOU IS ALWAYS), illustrated by Claudine Crangle. An homage to snail mail and a celebration of our own unique journeys in life, the picture book features a forgotten envelope finally rescued from a drawer when a girl reaches out to a friend who has moved away. Publication is scheduled for August 2023; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
- Jennifer Smith at ECW Press has acquired world rights to Bill Morneau’s WHERE TO FROM HERE: A PATH TO CANADIAN PROSPERITY, an insightful account of Morneau’s years as the federal Finance minister that explores personalities, achievements and failures with candor, and offers a forward-looking vision for Canadian government and society. Publication is scheduled for January 2023; Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists inked the deal.
- Anna Comfort O’Keefe at Douglas & McIntyre has acquired world English rights to creator of the Mother of All Books series Ann Douglas’ NAVIGATING THE MESSY MIDDLE: A FIERCELY HONEST AND WILDLY ENCOURAGING GUIDE FOR MIDLIFE WOMEN. Drawing on interviews with more than 100 women, Douglas offers practical, evidence-based strategies to create purpose and meaning and push back against the generally toxic attitude about this stage of life. Publication is scheduled for September 2022; Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists represented Douglas in the deal.
- Award-winning Deaf author and Sheridan College Writer-in-Residence Adam Pottle‘s THE BLACK DRUM, the world’s first all-Deaf musical, using Sign Language and Signed Music, a speculative story exploring themes of grief and self-discovery, to Annie Gibson at Playwrights Canada Press, with Blake Sproule editing, for publication in February 2024, by Emmy Nordstrom Higdon at Westwood Creative Artists.
- Freehand Books has acquired Canadian rights to author of THE WEATHER INSIDE Emily Saso’s NINE DASH LINE, a literary thriller about a man (exiled for a mysterious crime after the Tiananmen Square uprising) and a woman (a U.S. Navy intelligence officer with her own secrets) who battle the elements, each other, and fate on a coral reef outpost in the middle of the South China sea. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Hilary McMahon of Westwood Creative Artists inked the deal.
- Psychologist, poet, essayist, and author Lydia Kwa‘s A DREAM WANTS WAKING, a literary speculative novel that draws on and subverts mythological tropes in oral and classical Chinese mythology and literature, to Paul Vermeersch at Buckrider Books, part of Wolsak and Wynn, for publication in fall 2023, by Emmy Nordstrom Higdon at Westwood Creative Artists (NA).
