May 3, 2021
debut novel Dirty Laundry pre-empted by Katie Loftus at Viking in six-figure deal. US rights pre-empted by Andra Miller at Ballantine
Disha Bose’s
Katy Loftus, who published 2020’s runaway bestseller The Thursday Murder Club, pre-empted for an undisclosed six-figure sum, acquiring UK and Commonwealth rights. American rights were pre-empted shortly after by Andra Miller at Ballantine, publisher of The Beekeeper of Aleppo.
The novel, Dirty Laundry, is a page-turning tale of the dark side of suburbia, about three mothers who are all part of the same clique, whose secrets and lies lead to one of their murders. It tackles age-old ideas of the face we present to the world, the impossibility of who we fall in love with and the urge to create better versions of ourselves in our children.
Disha Bose, 31, was born and raised in India, and has lived in Calcutta, London and Dublin. She worked in the Tech industry for a few years, before being joining the Masters in Creative Writing program at University College Dublin where she was mentored by Anne Enright. She was shortlisted for the DNA Short story prize for 2016, and her poetry and short stories have appeared in The Incubator Journal, The Galway Review, Cultured Vultures, and Headstuff. Her travel pieces have appeared in The Economic Times of India and Coldnoon. She now lives in Cork.
Katy Loftus says: ‘Disha’s novel blew me away with its confidence and the sheer pleasure of reading. It brings to mind the best of the novels about the dark side of suburban life and parenthood, from Little Fires Everywhere to Big Little Lies, but with a take that is completely now. Her three women – Ciara, Lauren and Mishti – are not the women you expect to see, and neither are the secrets they keep. I could not put it down, nor could anyone at Penguin General. I am overjoyed that Viking will be launching what is sure to be a brilliant literary career.’
Andra Miller: ‘Disha Bose is the kind of talent that editors hope against hope to discover. In Dirty Laundry, she gives us a page-turning, delicious, twisty story-- the queen bee of a neighborhood clique of mothers turns up dead, and every single person who has crossed her path had a reason for wanting her dead. But at the same time, there's this persistent ache for the truths behind the story: how isolating young motherhood can be, and how women, and men, fail each other, despite a genuine desire for happiness. You can tell that Disha had a fun time writing it, and that spirit carries over for the reader-- especially the ending, which is just a complete, spectacular surprise.’
Disha Bose: ‘In Dirty Laundry I explore the complicated roles of couples today, the sometimes uncomfortable dynamics of female friendship, and our ideas of happiness. With one of my characters, in particular, I wanted to examine the immigrant experience of parenthood; what it means to raise your children in a country that isn't your own. I'm delighted to have found the perfect homes for this book, and am grateful to my agent Marianne Gunn O'Connor and my editors Katy Loftus at Viking Penguin and Andra Miller at Ballantine USA for being its loudest cheerleaders.'
Marianne Gunn O’Connor: From the moment I started reading Dirty Laundry I was absolutely gripped and thought what a talent, what a supernova bright future lies ahead of this young author! How honoured and lucky I am now to represent her... I couldn’t have found a better champion for Disha than Super Editor Katy Loftus at Viking Penguin. From her initial response, I knew she was the right editor and that Disha will fly with her and the wonderful Viking Penguin Team…I’ve already worked with the wonderful Andra Miller at Ballantine US - I love her! Disha is in superb hands there too. I couldn’t be happier.