Book of Speculation - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Erika Swyler’s THE BOOK OF SPECULATION Out Tomorrow in Paperback

Posted on Wednesday, July 6th, 2016

Erika Swyler‘s critically-acclaimed THE BOOK OF SPECULATION is out tomorrow in paperback! Published in the UK by Corvus, here’s the synopsis…

A sweeping and captivating debut novel about a young librarian who discovers that his family labours under a terrible curse.

Simon Watson lives alone on the Long Island Sound. On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious book connected to his family.

The book tells the story of two doomed lovers, two hundred years ago. He is fascinated, yet as he reads Simon becomes increasingly unnerved. Why do so many women in his family drown on 24th July? And could his beloved sister risk the same terrible fate?

As 24th July draws ever closer, Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before it’s too late.

The novel has received some fantastic reviews since it was first released in ??. Here’s just a few of them…

‘Whimsically dark’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Abounds with imaginative flourishes’ — NPR

‘Debut novel by Erika Swyler fits into a tradition that includes The Name of the Rose and The Club Dumas… entertaining… With its puzzling story, circus sideshow and romantic plot lines, THE BOOK OF SPECULATION has plenty of attractions and will appeal to many. And if you’re a lover of books about books, you’ve got another fun tome to add to your to-be-read list.’ — Toronto Star

‘[Swyler’s scenes have a cinematic quality… Her writing is crisp and carefully crafted…’ — Star Telegram

‘Haunting and unique tale about family and the power of the past…’ — Go! North East Oregon

Zeno represents Erika Swyler in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Michelle Brower and Melissa Sarver White at Folio Literary Management.

Cover & Details: THE BOOK OF SPECULATION by Erika Swyler

Posted on Friday, May 13th, 2016

Above is the stunning paperback cover for Erika Swyler‘s acclaimed THE BOOK OF SPECULATION. Published in the UK by Corvus on July 7th, here’s the synopsis…

A sweeping and captivating debut novel about a young librarian who discovers that his family labours under a terrible curse.

Simon Watson lives alone on the Long Island Sound. On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious book connected to his family.

As 24th July draws ever closer, Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before it’s too late.

Here is just a small sample of the reviews the novel has received…

‘Whimsically dark’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Abounds with imaginative flourishes’ — NPR

‘[Swyler’s scenes have a cinematic quality… Her writing is crisp and carefully crafted…’ — Star Telegram

‘Haunting and unique tale about family and the power of the past…’ — Go! North East Oregon

Zeno represents Erika Swyler in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Michelle Brower and Melissa Sarver White at Folio Literary Management.

Erika Swyler’s THE BOOK OF SPECULATION Out Tomorrow in UK

Posted on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2016

Erika Swyler‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, THE BOOK OF SPECULATION, is out tomorrow in the UK! Published by Corvus Books, here’s the synopsis…

Simon Watson lives alone on the Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious book from an antiquarian bookseller; it has been sent to him because it is inscribed with the name of Simon’s grandmother. The book tells the story of two doomed lovers who were part of a travelling circus more than two hundred years ago. He is fascinated, yet as he reads Simon becomes increasingly unnerved. Why do so many women in his family drown on 24th July? And could his beloved sister, who has suddenly turned up at home for the first time in years, risk the same terrible fate?

As 24th July draws ever closer, Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before it’s too late.

THE BOOK OF SPECULATIONS has been described as ‘whimsically dark’ (Publishers Weekly), filled with ‘wonderful descriptions’ (EW), and ‘abounds with imaginative flourishes’ (NPR). Swyler’s ‘scenes have a cinematic quality… Her writing is crisp and carefully crafted,’ wrote the Star Telegram.

Zeno represents Erika Swyler in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Michelle Brower and Melissa Sarver White at Folio Literary Management.

Cover: THE BOOK OF SPECULATION by Erika Swyler (UK)

Posted on Tuesday, March 24th, 2015

We announced back in February that John Wordsworth had negotiated the sale of UK rights for Erika Swyler‘s novel THE BOOK OF SPECULATION to Corvus Books. Today, we are able to share with you the UK cover (above). The novel is due to be published in the UK in February 2016.

Here’s the synopsis…

Simon Watson lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home, a house perched on the edge of a cliff that is slowly crumbling into the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, works for a travelling carnival and seldom calls.

On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious book from an antiquarian bookseller; it has been sent to him because it is inscribed with the name Verona Bonn, Simon’s grandmother. The book tells the story of two doomed lovers who were part of a travelling circus more than two hundred years ago. The paper crackles with age as Simon turns the yellowed pages filled with notes and sketches. He is fascinated, yet as he reads Simon becomes increasingly unnerved. Why do so many women in his family drown on 24th July? And could Enola, who has suddenly turned up at home for the first time in years, risk the same terrible fate?

As 24th July draws ever closer, Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before it is too late.

Zeno represents Erika Swyler in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Michelle Brower and Melissa Sarver White at Folio Literary Management.

Corvus Acquires UK Rights for Erika Swyler’s THE BOOK OF SPECULATION

Posted on Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Sara O’Keeffe, Editorial Director at Corvus, an imprint of Atlantic Books, has acquired UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada) rights to Erika Swyler’s stunning debut novel, THE BOOK OF SPECULATION.

The deal was negotiated by John Wordsworth at the Zeno Agency, on behalf of Michelle Brower and Melissa Sarver White at Folio Literary Management. The novel was sold to St. Martin’s Press in the United States in a six figure deal.

“Dear Mr. Watson, I came across this book at auction as part of a larger lot I purchased on speculation. The damage renders it useless to me, but a name inside it—Verona Bonn—led me to believe it might be of interest to you or your family…”

Simon Watson, a young librarian on the verge of losing his job, lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home – a house, perched on the edge of a bluff, that is slowly crumbling toward the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, works for a traveling carnival reading tarot cards, and seldom calls.

On a day in late June, Simon receives a mysterious package from an antiquarian bookseller. The book tells the story of Amos and Evangeline, doomed lovers who lived and worked in a traveling circus more than two hundred years ago. The paper crackles with age as Simon turns the yellowed pages filled with notes, sketches, and whimsical flourishes; and his best friend and fellow librarian, Alice, looks on in increasing alarm. Why does his grandmother’s name, Verona Bonn, appear in this book? Why do so many women in his family drown on July 24? Could there possibly be some kind of curse on his family – and could Enola, who has suddenly turned up at home for the first time in six years, risk the same fate in just a few weeks? In order to save her – and perhaps himself – Simon must try urgently to decode his family history while moving on from the past.

THE BOOK OF SPECULATION is due to be published in the US in June 2015, and Corvus will publish in the UK in February 2016. No news yet on the UK cover, but the image above-left will grace the US edition. We’ll be sure to share the UK cover here as soon as it is available.

‘The Book of Speculation is a luscious experience – dark, sweet, and wild’ — Katherine Dunn

Find out more about the author by visiting her website and following her on Twitter.