New Deal: THE LIVES OF OCTOPUSES by Danna Staaf

Danna Staaf's THE LIVES OF OCTOPUSES has sold to Kate Shanahan at UniPress, with Kathleen Steedon editing. This new non-fiction work is an illustrated natural history of our planet's octopus, squid, and cuttlefish life.

"Danna's passion for cephalopods is unparalleled and her writing lets the reader share that passion,’ said The Rights Factory agent Stacey Kondla. “She is the perfect person to write this book and it is going to be wonderful!"

Danna Staaf is also the author of MONARCHS OF THE SEA: The Extraordinary 500-Million-Year History of Cephalopods.

THE LIVES OF OCTOPUSES is scheduled for publication in 2023.

New Deal: THE MODERN TRAUMA TOOLKIT by Christy Gibson, MD

Physician and trauma specialist Dr. Christy Gibson’s THE MODERN TRAUMA TOOLKIT has sold to Dan Ambrosio at Hachette Go.

Christy Gibson, MD has made a name for herself on social media as the TikTok Trauma Doc (@tiktoktraumadoc). With over 100,000 followers, her accessible videos help viewers to begin the process of understanding and processing their trauma.

An accessible and medical science-based exploration of how trauma impacts our bodies, THE MODERN TRAUMA TOOLKIT offers practical mental health advice that can be personalized and formatted; with the ability to choose the tools and activities used.

“Dr. Gibson's pitch for her toolkit was validating, entertaining, and hopeful,” said The Rights Factory CEO Sam Hiyate. “Foreign Rights Manager Milly Ruggiero and I jumped at the chance to pitch it.”

THE MODERN TRAUMA TOOLKIT is scheduled for publication in Spring 2023.

Learn more about Dr. Christy Gibson

Follow Dr. Christy Gibson on TikTok

New Deal: NO BOOTSTRAPS WHEN YOU’RE BAREFOOT by Wes Hall

Executive Chairman and Founder of Kingsdale Advisors, The BlackNorth Initiative, and Canada's first Black Dragon on CBC's Dragon's Den, Wes Hall's NO BOOTSTRAPS WHEN YOU'RE BAREFOOT has sold to Anne Collins and Sue Kuruvilla at Random House Canada.

This new non-fiction memoir will depict Hall’s inspirational trajectory from humble and challenging beginnings in a Jamaican hut to his seat among power brokers at the Bay Street table. He will describe how he found his faith, his focus, and used his intelligence and tenacity to defy stereotypes and find opportunities.

“Working with Wes Hall on his epic journey has been a highlight of my year," said The Rights Factory agent and CEO Sam Hiyate.

NO BOOTSTRAPS WHEN YOU’RE BAREFOOT is scheduled for publication in Fall 2022.

Read the full press release from Penguin Random House Canada here.