Hutchinson Heineman has pre-empted Food Person, the “essentially hilarious and hopeful” debut novel by food writer Adam Roberts.
Publishing executive Ira Ahmed acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Cecil Balensma at Cecil B. Literary Agency. Jenny Jackson at Knopf pre-empted US rights from Jenny Ferrari Adler. Hutchinson Heineman will publish in June 2025.
The publisher explains that the novel is about the journey to self-discovery, the beauty of community, and how by fearlessly carving out your own future, we can all get the ending we deserve — and some seriously good food.
Here's the synopsis: “After being fired from her job at a digital cooking magazine, 20-something Isabella Pasternak takes a thankless job for the paycheck: ghostwriting a cookbook for actress Molly Babcock. Babcock is trying to escape a serious downward spiral, but when Molly responds to Isabella's sincere attempts at empathy with inconsistency, indifference and cruelty, Isabella finds herself standing up for her beliefs for the first time in her life.”
“Isabella's slice of modern-day New York life is rounded out by a cast that includes her acerbic roommate and best friend Owen, her widowed mother who is not only a terrible cook but also dangerous, and her handsome chef boyfriend.”
Ahmed said: “Reading Adam's novel made me feel like I was falling in love all over again with everything I love. It has a bit of Nora Ephron's 'Julie & Julia' and Lauren Weisberger's 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Emily in Paris' vibes, but it's about food instead of fashion.”
“I just lost myself in the story and had a great time. I've never laughed so much at a novel before, and I'm sure readers will feel the same way. What I like most is how Adam portrays the world as divided into two types of people – those who work behind the scenes and those who are the stars of the show. I loved exploring what happens when these two types of people go to war. It's a great career growth story.”
Roberts, author of the blog The Amateur Gourmet and host of the Lunch Therapy podcast, said: “I'm thrilled to be working with Hutchinson Heineman and it's dreamy to be published in the UK. I can't wait for UK readers to experience Hollywood starlet Isabella's journey into the belly of the beast. Most of the food references should make sense across the pond, but if in doubt, just add a little malt vinegar.”
