Columna Edicions Acquires Catalan Rights of ‘DAS LÄCHELN DER FRAUEN’ (The Smile of Women), by Nicolas Barreau

We are happy that Columna Edicions has acquired Catalan Language rights of ‘DAS LÄCHELN DER FRAUEN’ (The Smile of Women), by Nicolas Barreau. To be published in 2012.

The novel is successfully published in Germany by Thiele Verlag (hardcover) and Piper Verlag (paperback)

“The story that I would like to tell begins with a smile. It ends in a small

restaurant in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, exactly there where the heart of

Paris beats ...” (from: The Smile of the Women)

More than 25.000 copies have already been sold in Germany. Righst have been previously sold sold to: St. Martin’s Press (English World Rights), Espasa (Spanish), Feltrinelli (Italian), Arena (Dutch) and The Enthusiast (Bulgarian).

A romantic story of confusion between art and cuisine. A light-hearted novel about the wonderful delirium of love. A story told with Parisian charm – too wonderful not to be true.

There are no coincidences! Aurélie Bredin, who has taken over her father’s restaurant 'Le Temps des Cerises' after his death, is sure of this truth. On a fateful Friday in November when Aurélie is feeling more depressed than ever before, she discovers a novel in a bookshop entitled 'The Smile of the Women'. Intrigued, she comes across a sentence that refers to her own small restaurant.

After reading the entire story, Aurélie no longer wants to die. Instead, she wishes more than anything to meet the author of the novel because she is convinced that, without even realizing it, he has saved her life. She would like to show her appreciation and invite him to her small, charming restaurant that apparently he is already familiar with. However, her wish proves to be a difficult, almost impossible, endeavour. All attempts to contact the shy English author through his French publishers are blocked by the company’s gruff editor-in-chief, André, who only with great reluctance forwards her enthusiastic letter.

Aurélie refuses to give up, however, and when one day a letter from the reclusive author actually lands in her post box, the encounter that eventually takes place is completely different from what she had ever imagined …

--

Nicolas Barreau (born 1980, Paris) studied romanistic languages and literature at the Sorbonne. He worked in a bookshop on the Rive Gauche in Paris but is far from an inexperienced bookworm. With his two previous and successful novels published by Thiele Publishers The Woman in my Life (2007) and You’ll Find Me at the End of the World, he has gained an enthusiastic audience.

This deal for Catalan language has been made by SalmaiaLit on behalf of Thiele Verlag.

'Hierba Santa' reaches its fourth reprint in Germany

We are happy to share the good news that arrive from Germany about the novel 'Hierba Santa', by F.G. Haghenbeck. 'Hierba Santa' was published in Germany by Insel Verlag last January 2011 and up to now the novel has been reprinted four times. We are glad that German readers are enjoying it!

Foreing rights have already been sold to: Simon & Schuster/Atria (World English), Suhrkamp/Insel (Germany), Orlando Publishers/Bruna (The Netherlands), Planeta Brasil (Brazil), Shangai 99 (China), Rizzoli (Italy).

The translator into english will be Cuban author Achy Obejas, who also translated -to much acclaim- Junot Díaz's 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao' (winner of the Pulitzer in 2008).

Hierba Santa, with echoes of Magic Realism, is a vivid and tender homage to Frida Khalo, a woman who changed the course of modern art and has become an icon for many people all over the world.

Below please see a plot summary in English.

*****

Hierba Santa, by F.G. Haghenbeck

A little handwritten notebook that Frida Khalo called ‘The Book of the Holy Herb’ was to be exhibited at the Palace of Fine Arts on occasion of the 100th anniversary of her birth. The notebook disappeared on the same day that the exhibition was opened...

After a severe accident in the crash of a bus and a trolley car, and after she died for the first time, Frida Khalo reaches an agreement with her Benefactress (the Death herself): Frida will be allowed to live, but, in exchange, every year she will have to prepare an offering to the Dead as a rememberance of this agreement.

Since then, Frida writes down every receipe that she prepares for the ‘Día de Muertos’ (The Day of the Dead). This is a holiday celebrated in Mexico, which focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

The receipes are gathered toghether by Frida in her beloved notebook. While year after year the ritual is repeated, Frida’s life goes on impetuously, full of rapture and pain. She meets Diego Rivera, the man whom she will marry and share her life with; but who is also the man who will mark the beginning of her second death. She lives the Mexican Revolution and the socialist upraise, a life behind the fame of her husband.

Frida loves and desires madly, but she lives on borrowed time; her aching and ruined body constantly reminds her that her Benefactress is taking away bits of her soul day after day, and that their final encounter is becoming closer.

Hoy llega a las librerías 'Sin piedad', de Sara Blædel (Ed. Mosaico)

En su segunda novela publicada en español Sara Blædel, la exitosa escritora danesa, nos embarca—de la mano de la inspectora de policía Louise Rick— en una historia sobre la violencia gratuita, la avaricia y el importante vínculo entre padres e hijos: Sin piedad. A partir de hoy en librerías.

Sin piedad, de Sara Blædel
Ed. Mosaico, Mayo 2011, 403 pp.

Sobre Sara Blædel se ha dicho…

«Sara Blædel es una maestra retratando personajes femeninos. Me fascina.» Åsa Larsson

«La escritura de Sara Blædel es apasionante, cautivadora y cálida. Me gustó su protagonista, LouiseRick, desde el primer libro.» Camilla Läckberg

«Cuando leo los libros de Sara Blædel puedo sentir la jefatura de policía de Copenhague y palpar su atmósfera. La esencia de sus argumentos y toda la escenografía que presenta reflejan fielmente la vida real.» Per Larsen, Inspector Jefe de la policía de Copenhague

«No es una sorpresa que Sara Blædel haya sido elegida como uno de nuestros autores más populares.» Henrik Tjalve, Frederiksborg Amts Avis

***

En mitad de un interrogatorio, la inspectora de policía Louise Rick recibe la llamada del niño que tiene en acogida, Jonas, quien le pide que acuda en su ayuda inmediatamente. Un grupo de jóvenes violentos ha irrumpido en la fiesta infantil en la que se encuentra y uno de los adultos presentes es atacado de manera brutal.

Signe, una niña de doce años, sale corriendo en busca de ayuda, pero uno de los jóvenes la persigue. Cuando Louise finalmente llega al lugar, ha sucedido algo terrible: Signe ha sido atropellada y muere esa misma noche.

Para la madre de Signe la vida deja de tener sentido cuando pierde a su única hija. Pero, ¿está henchida de dolor o de sed de venganza? De pronto, un incendio en el que fallecen dos personas enturbia el caso y la policía le concede la máxima prioridad. Louise está segura de que no todo el mundo está diciendo la verdad y llevará la investigación sin descanso hasta revelar lo sucedido.

Sara Blædel debutó como escritora de novela policíaca en 2004 con Grøntstøv (Nieve verde), el primer libro de la serie dedicada a la oficial de policía Louise Rick, del Departamento de Homicidios de la Jefatura de Copenhague. En 2010, Editorial Mosaico publicó Sin salida, la primera de las novelas de la autora traducida al español.

Aprovechando la publicación de Sin piedad, Editorial Mosaico también publica estos días la edición en formato bolsillo de Sin Salida.

Los libros de Sara Blædel son de los punteros dentro de la narrativa policíaca danesa, habiendo sido adquiridos los derechos de publicación en Noruega, Suecia, Alemania, Holanda y España. Sus títulos suelen encabezar las listas de los más vendidos y Nordisk Film está preparando una adaptación al cine de su obra.

En 2009, Sara Blædel fue elegida Autora del Año en Dinamarca y el público danés le concedió el décimo lugar entre las 100 mejores novelas de los últimos veinticinco años.

Engines on in France for the publication of 'Martini Shoot' (Trago amargo), by F.G. Haghenbeck. At end of May in Bookshops

We're happy to announce that Éditions Denöel will publish its French translation of the Mexican novel 'Trago Amargo' (Bitter Drink) at the end of this month. They changed the title into 'Martini Shoot', and the novel has been brilliantly translated by Juliette Ponce.

Trago amargo is a very original and peculiar noir novel: A story of intrigue, an accurate historical depiction of Hollywood in the 60s, a very unique ambience and a funny compendium of the best and most famous cocktails of the world. It also has tastes of road movie, adventure and detective stories.

Below you can see all the information that Denöel has prepared in French:

Martini Shoot (Trago amargo), F.G. Haghenbeck

Éditions Denoël, Mai 2011

192 pp.

Traduit de l’Espagnol (Mexique) par Juliette Ponce.

Un polar noir et glamour campé sur le tournage mythique de ‘La Nuit de l’iguane’, où femmes sublimes et dangereuses côtoient cocktails colorés et cadavres non identifiés.

Une plongée dans les paillettes et le vertige du cinéma américain des années 60, rafraîchissante comme une bonne margarita…

Sunny Pascal, beatnik patenté aficionado de la tequila et des planches de surf, gagne sa vie en faisant le ménage des grands d’Hollywood. Sa spécialité: laver acteurs et producteurs des scandales les plus incroyables et leur éviter tout contact indésirable avec la police.

En cette année 1963, un nouveau contrat l’emmène à Puerto Vallarta, dans son Mexique natal, sur le tournage du nouveau film de John Huston. Entre deux cocktails bien corsés, il veille à ce que le casting de marque ne s’entre-tue pas avant le clap de fin. Tâche délicate lorsque l’on sait que la plupart des actrices présentes – Liz Taylor, Ava Gardner, deborah Kerr, sue lyon – ont un ex-amant en commun, et que, pour pimenter le tout, John huston a offert à chacun de ses acteurs un pistolet muni de balles en argent.

Sunny Pascal aurait bien aimé se noircir en paix aux côtés de Richard Burton, mais il doit gérer un vol de bijou, un accident de plateau mortel, une overdose et un garde du corps trop gourmand, tout cela sans éclabousser la production.

Le premier volet de ce qui devrait devenir une série autour du privé Pascal est savoureux à souhait: son personnage, premier limier beatnik du genre, est charismatique en diable et bourré d’humour noir. la galerie de personnages secondaires est tout aussi enlevée, qu’il s’agisse du mystérieux billy Joe rouge, toujours prompt à apparaître au beau milieu des fusillades, ou de « l’avocat du diable », bernabé Jurado, friand de règlements de comptes sanglants autour d’un plat d’empanadas.

La narration se construit autour des recettes de cocktails qui ouvrent chaque chapitre: le style est pétillant, drôle, évoquant à merveille, au-delà d’une intrigue bien ficelée, l’atmosphère de ce tournage improbable et la légèreté des sweet sixties.

F.G. Haghenbeck est né en 1965 à Mexico D.F. Il réside à Puerto Vallarta où il partage son temps entre l’écriture de romans et celle de scénarios pour la bande dessinée, son autre passion. Trago Amargo, primé au Mexique et publié avec succès en Espagne, est son premier roman traduit en français.

« F.G. Haghenbeck fait un audacieux pari dans son roman Martini shoot : celui de combiner recettes de cocktails célèbres et narration à suspense, le tout campé sur le délirant tournage de La Nuit de l’iguane, de John Huston. (…) Il est fort déconseillé de boire coup sur coup les vingt-six cocktails qui ouvrent chacun des chapitres de ce drôle de roman: vous n’arriveriez pas à la fin, ce serait dommage »

Rosa Mora, El País

« Haghenbeck est un auteur soigneux, irréprochable et calculateur ; il a le sens de l’espace, du temps, et soigne l’étoffe de ces personnages. »

Elmer Mendoza (lauréat du prix du roman Tusquets), El Universal

« Haghenbeck est l’héritier de la tradition la plus caustique du roman noir. »

Harkaitz Cano, auteur espagnol

« Pour tous ceux qui adorent le ciné plus que tout, F.G. Haghenbeck est une sacrée découverte. ( ) Battez-vous pour trouver un exemplaire ce roman aussi canaille que magnifique. »

Francisco J. Ortiz, El periódico de Villena

El fin de una época (The End of an Age), by Iñaki Gabilondo. Foreign rights handled by SalmaiaLit

A book about journalism by a brilliant journalist.

8 reprints since March 2011. 25.000 copies sold up to now.

Iñaki Gabilondo is one of the most reputated journalists in Spain. He began his career in a radio station at the age of 21. He has been director of several radio channels and became the TV news director of TVE (Spanish public TV channel network). For 20 years he conducted the main radio show of Spanish Radio History, ‘Hoy por Hoy’, and has spent the last years as the news anchor of TV news programmes at channels Cuatro and CNN+

In all these years he has been a privileged spectator and observer of current affairs and he has been telling and explaining it to the audience. El fin de una época is his lucid reflection on a whole professional life in a time in which the future of journalism as we know it is uncertain.

This is a personal text that does not ellude knotty subjects and that not only shows a passion towards journalism but also the fear that such a necessary job would be distorted.

A brilliant book in which Gabilondo analizes the threats and the greatness of a profession to which he has devoted a life and the principles to which each journalist should stick to. The legacy of a model journalist.

El fin de una época (The end of an age).
by Iñaki Gabilondo
Barril & Barral Editores, March 2011 (182pp)