Lilith is the heroine women have waited six thousand years for
Legend Press has acquired UK & Commonwealth (excluding Canada) rights for Lilith by Nikki Marmery. The novel will be published in the UK by Legend Press in October 2023. Rights were acquired by Lauren Parsons, Commissioning Editor, from Ella Kahn at Diamond Kahn & Woods Literary Agency. Audio rights have been acquired by WF Howes and German rights sold to S. Fischer Verlag in a pre-empt via the Fritz Agency.
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In the Garden of Eden, at the beginning of time, an outrageous lie is born: that women are inferior… Lilith is the story of the first woman, who is banished from Paradise when she refuses to bow to Adam’s will. Inspired by ancient myths and suppressed scriptures, in this feminist retelling of the biblical fable that justified and explained woman’s subjection to man, Lilith will have her revenge – however long it takes.
In this breathtakingly impressive, refreshingly original and impeccably researched second novel from historical novelist Nikki Marmery, Lilith’s quest for justice drives her throughout history, meeting a cast of characters similarly maligned or erased by patriarchal religion. Noah’s wife, Norea, Jezebel and Mary Magdalene all play their part in Lilith’s enlightenment. In the modern age, as she observes the catastrophic consequences of a world built on inequality, Lilith finally understands what must be done to correct the wrong done to women – and all humankind – at the beginning of time.
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Nikki’s first novel, On Wilder Seas, was published by Legend Press in 2020; based on a true story, it tells the tale of Maria, the only woman aboard the Golden Hind during Francis Drake’s famous circumnavigation voyage. It was shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society’s New Novel Award 2018 and selected for the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation’s #AdventureSociety Book Club in 2020. Nikki previously worked as a financial journalist, editing magazines about credit markets and foreign exchange trading. She lives in a small village in the Chilterns.
Nikki Marmery comments: ‘I conceived Lilith as a novella in spring 2019. Throughout the strange new world of covid lockdowns, she grew, bursting out of the limited scope I had initially imagined, to bestride six thousand years of human history and hold the fate of the entire world in her hands. I am absolutely thrilled Legend Press is publishing my tale of the ultimate wronged woman, and the female fury and wisdom that might just save us all.’
Ella Kahn comments: “The thought-provoking and ambitious themes explored in this novel are underpinned by a crystal-clear literary voice and a triumphantly engaging heroine, and I was thrilled by how fully Legend Press understood and embraced Nikki’s vision. It is honestly difficult to fully express how brilliant and astonishing I think Lilith is: I cannot wait for readers to discover her!”
Lauren Parsons comments: ‘I am thrilled to be publishing Nikki’s extraordinary, riveting and utterly spellbinding retelling of Lilith’s story. From the moment I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. The writing is compelling, the subject is inspiring and I can’t wait for readers to be equally swept away. Nikki has provided a powerful piece of writing that makes you stop and question matters you may otherwise have overlooked. This is historical fiction at its best.’
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