The Bookseller – Rights – One More Chapter signs two-book deal with “hugely talented” Caroline Cauchi

One More Chapter publishes the work of Caroline Cauchi, lecturer at the University of Hull. The woman who fell over Niagara Falls in a barrel as part of a two-book contract.

The contract was signed by publisher Charlotte Ledger, who will receive the worldwide rights in all languages ​​directly from the author. In North America, the book will be published under the title Queen of the Mist.

The first book in the contract, Mrs Van Goghwas a Globe and Mail Bestseller in Canada. The second novel is heralded by HarperCollins’ One More Chapter imprint as “another groundbreaking novel that explores the lives of overlooked women in history.”

The woman who fell over Niagara Falls in a barrel is inspired by the life of Annie Edson Taylor, a former teacher from Buffalo, New York. “It is 1901 and the fog of change swirls. Queen Victoria’s reign is coming to an end and an unknown widow in Buffalo is about to attempt the impossible,” the synopsis states.

“Meet the courageous Mrs. Annie Edson Taylor. The bravest woman you’ve ever heard of and the first person to plunge down Niagara Falls in a barrel – over a decade before any male daredevil dared to do the same. Enter a world of lost fortunes and friendships as Annie, mourning the past and determined to change the lives of the women around her, seeks to change the course of history. With a single leap, to be exact.”

Cauchi is an internationally successful novelist whose work reinterprets the stories of women who have disappeared from historical narratives. She lives in the UK and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Hull.

She said: “I am so excited to be working with the wonderful Charlotte Ledger and the team at One More Chapter again. Annie Edson Taylor’s courage and determination are truly inspirational and I am incredibly excited for readers to discover her remarkable story.”

Ledger said: “When I first learned of the courageous Mrs. Annie Edson Taylor, I was immediately struck by her incredible story. She was in her 60s, penniless and, like so many women, completely overlooked and ignored by society.

“But she dared to change her fate with this crazy, daring stunt, and she tackled the cases long before any man dared to do the same. I knew her story needed a similarly fearless writer, and that could only be Caroline. She is an incredibly talented, passionate writer, and it was very special to work with her on this novel. I can’t wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with Annie as much as Caroline and I did.”