The Bookseller.com

8th October 2008

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Rider acquires Afghan memoir

16.05.08 John Ryan

Rider Books publishing director Judith Kendra has paid around £15,000 for the memoirs of Afghan politician and activist Malalai Joya.

Joya’s book, Raising My Voice, documents the life of “the most famous woman in Afghanistan”, still only 29 years old, who came to prominence when she was elected to the country’s parliament, the Loya Jirga, four years ago. She attained fame almost instantly when she denounced the members of the Jirga as warlords and criminals, in an appearance that subsequently led to four assassination attempts and resulted in her being forced to live in hiding.

Kendra, who bought UK and Commonwealth Rights excluding Australia and New Zealand from Natasha Daneman at Westwood Creative Artists, said: ­“People [other publishers] were very keen, but we moved quickly and were in at the beginning.”

Raising My Voice, due for publication next spring, has been sold in a number of markets, including Aus­tralia, France, Israel, Norway, Germany and America, where Simon & Schuster is understood to have paid in excess of $50,000 (£25,675) for US rights.

John Ryan Rights deal Rider Malalai Joya Raising my Voice