Spanish Book Deal!

Judith Weber, the foreign rights specialist at Sobel Weber, let me know this evening that Ediciones Urano, the Barcelona-based publisher, has acquired world Spanish language rights to THE TWELVE/THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST in another two-book deal. I'm currently having a Stella Artois to celebrate, but it should really have been a San Miguel. Incidentally, I've been to Barcelona twice, and it's one of my favourite places on earth. This might be a good excuse for a return visit!

In other events, an article and a short story by yours truly have just appeared in the winter edition of Ulla's Nib, the magazine published by Belfast's Creative Writers' Network. The story is a reprint of THE LAST DANCE, the short that first inspired my agent to contact me, but the article (a piece on writing in the Internet age) is brand spanky new. I'll post a link to the online edition when it's available.

Two-Book Deal with Rivages, France

I got yet another pleasant surprise today when Judith Weber, the foreign rights specialist at Sobel Weber Associates, got in touch to tell me she had just secured a two-book deal with the French publisher, Rivages. Rivages is France's leading publisher of noir fiction, including a few names you might have heard of, like James Ellroy and Ed McBain. Of course, I'm delighted.

My First Foreign Sale - to Japan!

Today I received word from Judith Weber (my agent Nat's business partner and wife, who handles the agency's foreign rights) that THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST has sold to Random House Kodansha in Japan.

This is a wonderful surprise, of course. Japan has long been on my list of places I hope to visit one day, and I have always been fascinated by its mix of ancient and ultra-modern culture. You never know, I might fulfil that ambition yet. :)

I'm also curious as to how some of the book's more colourful language and colloquialisms will translate...