Borough Press 'obsessed with Jonny'

Here's Jonny: The Borough Press has pre-empted Tomek Mossakowski’s debut novel Jonny, 'a deeply sexy and propulsive literary novel about being in the wrong kind of love with the worst kind of man'

Jabin Ali, assistant editor at The Borough Press, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Abi Fellows; German rights have been pre-empted by Hanser.

'In Jonny, two men arrive on a wind-swept Greek island. Harry is worryingly in love with Jonny, and Jonny likes to pretend they’re not having sex. As they get to know the other guests at their villas, their tightly wound facade begins to unravel. One wild, drunken night, Harry’s obsession with Jonny finally shatters – and what’s underneath is cavernous and terrifying.'

The acquisition statement continues: 'Bold, inventive and formally stunning, Jonny is at once a love letter to a Greek island, an expression of obsessional anxiety, and a balm for anyone stuck inside their own head. It is scheduled for spring 2027.'

Ali said: "From its opening lines, Jonny stopped me in my tracks. Tomek imbues such depth of emotion into gorgeously sparse prose to create a visceral, intoxicating story of desire and disconnection. It makes for an electric reading experience – he is definitely a writer to watch."

Mossakowski said: "Writing Jonny was a rush. I pushed aside everything I’d been taught about novels and wrote, instead, a story that is uncompromising, unhinged and tense as hell. I can’t think of a better home for the book than The Borough Press, whose titles are uniformly beautiful and page-turning. Jabin and the team are behind Jonny in a way that makes me so excited for its future. I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on it."

Fellows said: "I was absolutely blown away by the originality and energy of Mossakowski's writing from page one. It is such a privilege to represent so daring a literary voice, who speaks to themes of obsession and desire that so many will relate to. I am thrilled that The Borough Press are giving this novel the ambitious home that it deserves."

HarperCollins released some additional background on the author. 'Tomek Mossakowski is a British-Polish writer living in Amsterdam. He worked as a professional baker at some of London’s top bakeries and is now a food writer and content creator (@tomekmoss) with a bestselling Substack.

'A short story version of Jonny was shortlisted for The Bridport Prize in 2021 and subsequently published in The Moth. In 2024, Mossakowski was awarded a DYCP grant from Arts Council England to complete the novel with the help of two mentors, poet and novelist Andrew McMillan and poet and critic Oluwaseun Olayiwola. His writing won a London Writers Award in 2022 and was supported by Max Porter in the form of an awarded place on an Arvon course.'