Grove Press UK acquires debut novel, ‘The Far Field’ by Madhuri Vijay

Grove Atlantic have acquired UK rights to Madhuri Vijay’s debut novel, The Far Field, from Fiona Baird at WME, on behalf of Claudia Ballard, for the Grove Press UK list.

The Far Field follows one woman’s search for a lost figure from her childhood, a journey that carries her from Southern India to Kashmir and to the brink of a devastating political and personal reckoning. With rare acumen, Madhuri Vijay masterfully examines Indian politics, class prejudice and sexuality through the lens of an outsider, offering up a profound meditation on grief, guilt and the limits of compassion.

Clare Drysdale, who oversees the Grove Press UK list alongside her role as Editorial Director of Allen & Unwin UK and acquired the UK rights, said:

‘Madhuri Vijay’s evocation of place and character are extraordinary, and her plotting kept me on tenterhooks the entire time. This is a book that you live rather than merely read, and we can’t wait to share it with British readers next year.’

Editorial Director of Grove Atlantic Elisabeth Schmitz said:

‘We are thrilled that Grove UK will publish Madhuri Vijay’s remarkable debut novel, The Far Field, along with Grove Atlantic in the US.  The passion displayed by Clare and her colleagues won the day in the UK and resulted in this rare and wonderful independent acquisition.’

The Grove Press UK list, overseen by Atlantic Books, publishes a dozen or so titles a year into the UK market, with authors including Mark Bowden, P.J. O’Rourke, Charmaine Craig, whose novel Miss Burma was longlisted for the 2018 Women’s Fiction Prize, and Lisa Brennan-Jobs, whose memoir Small Fry is currently an international bestseller.