New Deal: THINKING ANIMALS by Dana L. Church

Dana L. Church’s new middle-grade nonfiction book THINKING ANIMALS has sold to Andrew Wooldridge at Orca Books, edited by Kirstie Hudson. This new book will feature scientists and the clever methods they use to uncover clues about the minds of animals.

“Having been entrenched in the animal world in my past work experience and having the privilege of living with many pets, I know first-hand how brilliant animals are and got so excited when Dana came up with this idea for a new book,” said The Rights Factory agent, Stacey Kondla. “I have no doubt that Dana’s expertise and passion for animal cognition will have children thinking about animal intelligence in a new light.”

A Q&A with Agent Karmen Wells

If there’s a better way to welcome a new member to your team than to subject them to a Proust Questionnaire, we haven’t found it. We’re thrilled to introduce The Rights Factory’s new Film and Television Agent, Karmen Wells!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Swimming with sharks.

What is your greatest fear?

Orca Whales, but I’m working on it.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My lack of enthusiasm for incredibly long books.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Unoriginality.

What is your current state of mind?

...I don’t know how to answer this without a Schitt's Creek gif.

On what occasion do you lie?

When asked my age, but mostly out of habit. Growing up with a birthday in December, I would tell people I was a year older than I was so it would be the same as my peers, and it’s just stuck over the years. I often have to think about how old I actually am...

Which living person do you most despise?

There are too many to choose from...

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Altruism

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Sarcasm

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

All movie quotes.

When and where were you happiest?

Solo travelling and overexerting myself hiking up cliffs in Ireland.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Freediving for 5+ minutes

Where would you most like to live?

Under the sea.

What is your most marked characteristic?

They say I’m unconventional.

What do you most value in your friends?

Goofiness and thoughtfulness

Who are your favourite writers?

Oh god... Clive Barker, Ania Ahlborn, Stephen Graham Jones, Steven Hall, Hailey Piper, Kealan Patrick Burke, Cynthia Pelayo, Nick Cutter, Douglas Adams, Josh Malerman, Cherie Dimaline, okay I’ll stop now...

Who is your favourite hero of fiction?

Marvin the Paranoid Android

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Does Lilith count?

What is your greatest regret? All the classic novels I’m missing out on because of their sheer length.

Follow Karmen on Twitter at @KarmenEdits.

New Deal: PRIVATE ROCK ’N’ ROLL BY Peter Goddard

Author of THE GREAT GOULD, music critic and journalist Peter Goddard’s memoir, MY PRIVATE ROCK ’N’ ROLL, has sold to Douglas Richmond at House of Anansi by Sam Hiyate at The Rights Factory (World).

"I grew up reading and learning about Rock 'n' Roll from Peter Goddard, so I'm really excited to see his memoir come to life,” said The Rights Factory agent and CEO Sam Hiyate. “No Canadian has had his unique window into music from the 60s to now."

Journeying through his 50+ years on the beat, Goddard revisits his haunts and their habitués, where Springsteen, Dylan, Joplin, and Prince are found. Featuring stories of a ghostly sleep-deprived Chet Baker sounding as forlorn as his horn, John Lennon fussing with Yoko Ono’s white nightshirt, lest anything be improperly revealed during their Montreal Bed-in, and Liza Minnelli bumming a light in the parking lot after the Oscars.