Gallery Books acquired The Satsuma Complexthe “hilarious and original” debut novel by comedian Bob Mortimer.
Publishing director Holly Harris has acquired worldwide rights to Caroline Chignell of PBJ Management. The Simon & Schuster imprint will publish the novel on October 27, releasing it simultaneously as a hardback, e-book, and author-narrated audiobook. The book will be supported by a “big” marketing and public relations campaign.
“Gary Thorn is going for a pint with a work acquaintance named Brendan,” the synopsis reads. “When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls in love with her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember about her is the book she was reading: The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary must track down the girl he now calls Satsuma for answers.
“And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pies of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his mundane life.”
Memoirs of Mortimer And far… was published by Gallery in 2021 and recently reached #1 on Paperback Non-Fiction. According to Nielsen BookScan, it sold 545,500 copies for £5.5 million, with the hardback of And Far… selling 357,670 copies.
Harris added: “Bob is his own unique brand of genius, and The Satsuma Complex is a hilarious and original novel that will delight all who read it. We look forward to publishing this funny and charming book in October.”
