Sophie Robinson at Titan Books has acquired WEL rights (excluding South Africa) in T. C. Farren’s THE BOOK OF MALACHI from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann. In this page-turning yet moving high-concept thriller, a mute survivor of civil war must confront the horrors of organ farming on a deep-sea oilrig. THE BOOK OF MALACHI has been published by Kwela in South Africa, where the Cape Times described it as ‘utterly brilliant’ and the Sunday Times said the novel ‘will have you ripping through the pages. A film deal is also under negotiation. Part thriller, part horror, part speculative fiction, this gripping read goes to the heart of ethical quandaries, forcing the reader to ask: "What if it were me?"’
Malachi Dakwaa has survived civil war but is mute, his tongue cut out. Disengaged from the world, he's performing mind-numbing work as a factory slave when he gets an extraordinary job offer he can't refuse. In exchange for six months as warden on a top-secret organ-farming project, Frasier Pharmaceuticals will graft a new tongue for him. Far out to sea, Malachi finds himself among warlords and mass murderers of the kind who have ruined him. But are the prisoners as evil as Frasier says? Do they deserve their fate?
As doubt starts to grow, Malachi’s own memories rise until he must make a terrible choice. To remain silent and let them suffer, or risk his life to set them free.
Malachi may have no tongue, but his is a voice you will never forget – sharply ironic, vividly descriptive and leavened with humour, every sense sharpened by his loss of speech. He is a compelling guide through the twists and turns of a terrible dilemma, in this darkly gripping but ultimately redemptive novel.
Sophie Robinson said: ‘T.C. Farren is a true wordsmith. Each carefully chosen line sings off the page to create one of the most compelling and profoundly moving characters I've ever encountered. THE BOOK OF MALACHI is frightening, full of the darkest elements of humanity, but still manages to shine a light on empathy and real human connection. I'm so thrilled to welcome T.C. Farren and THE BOOK OF MALACHI to Titan Books. I can't wait to share this extraordinary book with readers around the world.’
T. C. Farren said: ‘This is a beautiful match between an unusual character and a publisher unafraid of a mysterious future. Malachi is physically unable to speak, but Titan is to fly his words across the Atlantic this year. Thank you, Titan. I'm delighted.’
Isobel Dixon said: ‘T.C. Farren has a gift for the voices of her characters – often troubled, at the fringes of society, but courageous and unforgettable. From the first page on which I encountered Malachi, I knew his story would grip many readers with its searing questions and its ultimate sense of redemption and humanity. I’m delighted that Titan will be publishing in the UK and US later this year.’
Praise for THE BOOK OF MALACHI
‘Farren is an exceptional writer, one of the best I’ve encountered, and not just in this country. By the time the novel ended, I was bereft, missing the characters and the setting as if I’d spent real time in an actual place. I can’t recommend this powerful novel highly enough.’ — Janet van Eeden Harrison, LitNet
‘Her descriptive powers are faultless, but more than that her understanding and exposition of what it is to be human, even in a broken form is magical… Sheer genius … Utterly brilliant.’ — Jennifer Crocker, Cape Times
‘Will have you ripping through the pages. Part thriller, part horror, part speculative fiction: this gripping read goes to the heart of ethical quandaries, forcing the reader to ask: "What if it were me?"’ — Sunday Times (SA)
‘An extraordinary, moving story that I read sometimes through the gaps in my fingers, like peeking at a horror movie — but one with hope and some exquisite visuals.’ — Country Life
T.C. Farren is a prize-winning novelist and scriptwriter, based in Cape Town. Her first novel, WHIPLASH won both humanitarian and literary awards. Her screenplay adaptation gave rise to the feature film, TESS, which won numerous awards, including a prestigious screenwriting nomination. She also adapted her highly acclaimed second novel, SNAKE to a screenplay which has won production funding and is due to be produced soon. HOTEL NOWHERE, T.C. Farren’s drug trafficking thriller script has recently been selected for development.