Juniper swoops for 'exceptional' debut from Transworld's Alison Barrow
The "powerful" debut novel by Transworld’s director of media relations Alison Barrow has been snapped up by Juniper, the HQ literary imprint launched earlier this year and headed by Manpreet Grewal.
Juniper publisher Grewal acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from David Headley to The Table in the Corner and one other novel. US rights were pre-empted by Claire Wachtel at Union Square, while Penguin Random House won German rights in a three-way auction.
The Table in the Corner is described by the publisher as a "powerful multi-generational family drama set against the backdrop of the searing 1976 heatwave". The title begins on the hottest day for more than 300 years when matriarch Gillian Robinson bundles her three children out of the house for their regular Sunday lunch "and she leaves her husband Tony bleeding at the bottom of the stairs".
The action moves between the blistering present of 1976 and the tender courtship of Gillian and Tony in the late 1950s and the aftershocks of that fateful day. The novel "explores how violence, desire and impulsive decisions reverberate through generations and weaves an intimate portrait of one Yorkshire family tested by violence, love and the limits of loyalty".
Long-time Transworld veteran Barrow will be familiar to many in the industry. She is one of the most-decorated publicists in the trade, with her campaigns winning three British Book Awards (a brace of which have been in the past eight years), two Booksellers Association Publicist of the Year awards and 11 Publishers Publicity Circle gongs.
Barrow said: “After my many happy years in publishing at the shoulder of so many astonishing writers, the prospect of now being among them is truly exhilarating. This story carries so much of my heart, and to have it recognised and championed means more than I can say. I’m grateful to David Headley for his belief in my writing and to Manpreet Grewal for her faith, her fierce intelligence and her extraordinary editorial vision. To be welcomed by her, by [HQ MD and publisher] Lisa Milton and the wonderful team at Juniper is an honour, truly.”
Grewal said: “The Table in the Corner is a novel of many pieces – a story of family, of marriage, of siblings, of desire and despair, and of pain and love. But its real beauty lies in the way Alison takes the everyday moments and turns them into something extraordinary. In Alison’s hands, they become pure magic on the page and I know we’re witnessing the launch of an exciting new voice in literary fiction.”
Headley added: “The Table in the Corner is a remarkable novel written by a truly exceptional new voice. Representing Alison, a friend and colleague of many years, has been an absolute privilege. Manpreet’s vision and enthusiasm for the book made it clear that this was the perfect publishing partnership.”
Juniper will publish The Table in the Corner in summer 2027.