For 2009 & 2010..Films and Books....

From Publishers Lunch Weekly:

FICTION/DEBUT:

23-year-old New Zealander and Iowa MFA student Eleanor Catton's debut THE REHEARSAL, to Reagan Arthur at Reagan Arthur Books, in a pre-empt, reportedly in a six-figure deal, by Granta.

Emily Gray Tedrowe's COMMUTERS, which explores the complex intertwining of love, family and class through its depiction of the shock waves caused by the marriage of one middle-class family's 78-year-old matriarch to a wealthy 81-year-old outsider, to Claire Wachtel at Harper, by Alice Tasman at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency (NA).

MYSTERY/CRIME:

Gyles Brandreth's next three untitled Oscar Wilde Mysteries, featuring Oscar Wilde as the sleuth aided by his real-life friend Arthur Conan Doyle, to Trish Lande Grader at Touchstone Fireside, for publication in 2010, by Ed Victor (NA).

THRILLER:

Sam Eastland's THE EYE OF THE RED TSAR, for a series featuring a Finnish agent, once Chief Inspector, confident and 'eye' of Tsar Nicholas II; set in 1929 and the agent is released from Gulag under mysterious circumstances to complete a special assignment for the new red Tsar, Stalin, to Kate Miciak at Bantam Dell, by Jason Cooper at Faber and Faber (US).

GENERAL/OTHER:

Bestselling author of THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER Kathleen Kent's THE GIANT OF EDGEHILL, a dramatic love story set during the English civil war and early colonial America, again to Reagan Arthur at Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown, in a significant deal, by Julie Barer at Barer Literary (NA).

FILM:

Film rights to Nicholas Sparks' THE LUCKY ONE, to Warner Bros., reportedly for seven-figures, for producer Denise Di Novi (who also produced Nights in Rodanthe, A Walk to Remember and Message in a Bottle).

Amy Kathleen Ryan's YA novel VIBES, to MGM, with Lynda Obst and Marc Rosen of Rosen-Obst producing, and Tiffany Paulsen ("Nancy Drew") adapting, by Kathleen Anderson at Anderson Literary Management.

Marcus Sakey's AT THE CITY'S EDGE, optioned to Hollywood Gang and Film 360 for Ric Waugh (FELON) to direct and Gianni Nunnari (THE DEPARTED, SE7EN) to produce, by Sarah Self at The Gersh Agency, on behalf of Scott Miller at Trident Media Group.

NON-FICTION

BIOGRAPHY:

Boston Globe reporter Sally Jacobs's THE OTHER BARACK, an account of Barack Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr., who was part of the pioneering post-colonial African generation that came to the US on its own terms, excelled in its colleges and universities, and then returned to run and reshape their home countries; examining the forces that propelled the elder Obama throughout his life and probing the elements that bred within him and his son an ambition far beyond their humble beginnings, to Clive Priddle at Public Affairs, by Jill Kneerim at Kneerim & Williams (world).

HISTORY/POLITICS/CURRENT AFFAIRS:

NBCC award-winner (WAR IS A FORCE THAT GIVES US MEANING) and former NYT correspondent Chris Hedges' THE END OF NEWS, examining the decline of the newspaper industry; its impact on American journalism and the very real consequences to democracy, to Jonathan Segal at Knopf, by Lisa Bankoff at ICM (World).

NYT art critic Benjamin Genocchio's THE CUPCAKE: FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT AND THE CREATION OF THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, a behind-the-scenes account of how the architect Frank Lloyd Wright staked his reputation on a radically creative vision for New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and waged innumerable battles over seventeen years to complete the museum on his own terms, in the process reinventing the idea of the museum itself, to Paul Golob at Times Books, by David Forrer of Inkwell Management (world).
HOW-TO:


Runway coach and America's Next Top Model judge J. Alexander's FOLLOW THE MODEL: Miss J's Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise, and Power, offering inspiring advice, life lessons, and self-esteem coaching for all women, backed with his own colorful anecdotes, to Patrick Price at Simon Spotlight Entertainment, for publication in Fall 2009, by Mel Berger at William Morris Agency (World English).

LIFESTYLE:

Author and editor-in-chief of women's magazines (including Mademoiselle and Cosmopolitan UK) Mandi Norwood's untitled Michelle Obama Style Guide, including design sketches and tips on how to achieve Obama's iconic style, to Carrie Feron at Avon A, for publication in spring 2009 as a four-color trade paperback.

MEMOIR:

Peter Von Ziegesar's untitled family memoir of the author's early years, lived in the wealthy and privileged enclaves of the northeast, and his adulthood, lived in connection with his half-brother - also named "Peter" - a homeless schizophrenic man who was a violin prodigy as a child, to Michael Flamini at St. Martin's, at auction, by David Kuhn at Kuhn Projects (world).

PARENTING:

THE GIRLFRIENDS' GUIDE TO PREGNANCY author Vicki Iovine's THE GIRLFRIENDS' GUIDE TO TEENAGERS, to Kathy Sagan at Pocket, by Dan Strone at Trident Media Group.
POP CULTURE:

Actor/comedian George Wendt's celebration of beer, an ode to his favorite drink, to Tricia Boczkowski at Simon Spotlight Entertainment, for publication in fall 2009, by Dan Strone at Trident Media Group (world).

Wrap...