Simon & Schuster is at the London Book Fair with a new CEO in the wings and at least one hot international property. Bonnier Books chief Perminder Mann takes over from Ian Chapman who leaves the company on 1 May, and the publisher is continuing to rack up international sales for the memoirs of Hollywood legend Anthony Hopkins.
UK and Commonwealth rights for Hopkina’ We Did OK, Kid were acquired by head of S&S international Ian Chapman from Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown and Emma Finn at C&W,
on behalf of Byrd Leavell at UTA.
Translation rights have been sold in over 20 territories by Sophie Baker at Curtis Brown and Melissa Chinchillo at UTA. Following the 19-way bidding war, S&S UK will publish in tandem with colleagues in Australia, India and the US in early November.
The synopsis reads: “With remarkable candour and a voice that is both arresting and vulnerable, Hopkins recounts his various career milestones and provides a once-in-a-lifetime look into the brilliance behind some of his most iconic roles.” The memoir “delves into his illustrious film and theatre career, difficult childhood and path to sobriety in his honest, moving and long-awaited memoir”.
Chapman said: “Only rarely do we read a work that so immediately moves the soul that we, as publishers, know that we must do everything in our power to play our part in taking it to as wide and diverse a readership as possible. This is one of those occasions. We can all relate to Sir Anthony’s many extraordinary, mesmerising performances on screen and stage. But it is the pages of his memoir that deliver a very new, thrilling and visceral experience. There is nothing like the written word to express, communicate, inspire. That is the sign of an extraordinary writer.”