Katie Loughnane, Commissioning Editor at Avon, has acquired World English Language rights to The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd in a deal with Ella Kahn at DKW. The book is slated for publication in November 2021.
The Arctic Curry Club follows Maya who, after upending her life to accompany her boyfriend Ryan to the Arctic, soon realises it’s not all Northern Lights and husky sleigh rides. Instead, she’s facing sub-zero temperatures, 24-hour darkness, crippling anxiety – and a distant boyfriend as a result. In her loneliest moment, Maya opens her late mother’s recipe book and cooks Indian food for the first time. Through this, her confidence unexpectedly grows – she makes friends, secures a job as a chef, and life in the Arctic no longer freezes her with fear.
Katie Loughnane said: ‘I think a lot of people can relate to feeling isolated, lonely and overwhelmed this year – and this is something that Dani explores through Maya’s character with such honesty. But in addition to that, this novel is ultimately an escapist, life-affirming read – something we all need now, and one of the primary reasons we’re seeing readers turning to commercial fiction now more than ever. Dani seamlessly combines wry humour with sumptuous food writing and nuanced characterisation – and despite the Arctic setting, this special novel leaves you feeling ever so warm inside. I can’t wait to publish it next year!’
Ella Kahn said: ‘The Arctic Curry Club is a hugely inspiring and wonderfully fresh read, and Katie and the team at Avon’s vision for publishing it immediately captured the warmth and humour at the heart of the novel – despite the icy setting! Dani is a talent to watch and I’m thrilled to be launching her debut novel with such a passionate and impressive publisher as Avon.’
Dani Redd said: ‘I started writing The Arctic Curry Club when I was living in India and finishing up a PhD on Arctic island literature. It’s about navigating anxiety and finding a home in the most unlikely of places, and I’m beyond thrilled that Avon is going to be the publisher sending it out into the world. I was impressed with the team’s vision and passion for the book, and I can’t wait to share it with audiences next year!’
Dani Redd has an MA in Creative Writing and a PhD in Creative and Critical writing from the University of East Anglia. She studied representations of islands in postcolonial and feminist fiction. This involved research trips to some of Europe’s remoter islands, including Spitsbergen, in the Arctic Circle.
Upon finishing her PhD, Dani spent two years living in India and working as a freelance travel writer, with her articles appearing in publications such as National Geographic Traveller India. She has now returned to Norwich, where she recently completed writing her debut novel, The Arctic Curry Club, which draws upon her time spent in Spitsbergen and India.
Dani won Words & Women’s short fiction prize in 2014, came third in Hinterland’s creative nonfiction competition in 2019, and was recently longlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Prize.
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