Rumer Godden is to become a Virago Modern Classic author

24/10/11

Virago has acqiured 15 titles, including BLACK NARCISSUS, THE RIVER and THE BATTLE OF THE VILLA FIORITA – and four titles for younger readers – LISTEN TO THE NIGHTINGALE, THURSDAY’S CHILDREN (both ballet themed books), THE DARK HORSE and AN EPISODE OF SPARROWS – which will launch VIrago Modern Classics Young Adult List.

The deal was done with Anna Davis of Curtis Brown for British Commonwealth Rights , including Canada. Virago will begin publishing in 2013.

Donna Coonan, Senior Editor of Virago Modern Classics, said “It is a real privilige to have the opportunity to publish Rumer Godden, a true classic, on the Virago Modern Classics list. She is an incredible writer, and what is really special about her, particularly when one considers the era she was writing in, is what contemporary sensibility she had; in her novels set in India especially, wherever her characters are from and whatever culture they belong to, their points of view are portrayed with sympathy and understanding. The customs, colours, sights and sounds of India are bought vividly to life, and the characters are unforgettable. That Godden is able to write effectively for a child as well as  an adult attests to the quality of her work, and I believe there is a whole new audience ready to discover her books.”