Francesca Haig / de Tores
Francesca Haig is represented by Juliet Mushens
Francesca is a novelist and poet.
As Francesca de Tores, she writes historical fiction. Her latest novel is Saltblood (Bloomsbury, 2024), about the life of pirate Mary Read. Saltblood was a Sunday Times top-twenty bestseller, and won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.
As Francesca Haig, she is the author of four novels, most recently The Cookbook of Common Prayer (2021; Allen & Unwin). Her post-apocalyptic Fire Sermon trilogy is published in more than 20 languages, with film rights optioned by DreamWorks. The first novel, The Fire Sermon, was published in 2015, followed by The Map of Bones in 2016, and concluding with The Forever Ship in 2017. The Fire Sermon was shortlisted for the Morningstar Award (best debut novel) in the David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy; the R.T. Book Reviews award (best science fiction novel); the 2016 Norma K Hemming Award; and the Aurealis Award (best young adult novel). The trilogy was also shortlisted for the Sara Douglass Book Series Award for best SFF book series.
Francesca grew up in lutruwita/Tasmania, gained her PhD from the University of Melbourne, and was a senior lecturer and a Visiting Writing Fellow at the University of Chester. Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies in both Australia and England, and a collection of poetry, Bodies of Water, was published in 2006. In 2010 she was awarded a Hawthornden Fellowship. She lives in naarm/Melbourne.
Praise for The Fire Sermon:
‘Words like ‘masterpiece’ and ‘instant classic’ are cliché, but in the case of Francesca Haig’s astounding The Fire Sermon, they’re the only words to use’ — Starburst Magazine
‘This terrific set-up spools out into a high tension tale of mistrust and dependency, injustice and optimism, told with poetic intensity’ — Daily Mail
‘This book is a thought-provoking whirlwind of a story, with a fab lead character, grisly politics and brave adventure. I loved it!’ — Jessie Burton
‘A hell of a ride. I would recommend it to anyone I can, regardless of age’ — James Oswald
‘Haig’s post-apocalyptic world is colorfully fleshed out, and the conclusion ask us to consider who, really, is the Other’ — Washington Post
‘With its well-built world, vivid characters and suspenseful plot, this book… is poised to become the next must-read hit.’ — Kirkus
Praise for Saltblood:
‘A gripping tale of one woman’s extraordinary adventures … Saltblood is a triumph of the imagination’ — Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den trilogy
‘A ravishing picaresque told with fireworks, finesse and gusto’ — Paul Lynch, author of Prophet Song
‘A well crafted, salty, old-fashioned adventure about identity and freedom’ — The Times
‘Saltblood is historical fiction that achieves that rare combination of being both a gripping read and intellectually and emotionally nuanced. […] The richness of language in Saltblood, the almost Turneresque suggestions of water, sky, the roiling and the ‘singing’ of the wooden boats, as well as the ability to voice Read’s interiority – all demonstrate the skill of a poetic sensibility and craft. Saltblood is a rollicking read, a compelling picaresque of journey and challenge and change. Through the narrative of Mary/Mark Read, it also offers intelligence and moving insights into the always complex business of life, examining how we might find or make ourselves’ — Australian Book Review
‘A blood-soaked story of piracy and prejudice’ — Daily Telegraph
‘Addictive’ — Sunday Post
‘Saltblood is exquisite. The writing is sumptuous and lyrical, the story fascinating’ — Louise O’Neill, author of Asking for It and Idol
‘A swashbuckling picaresque, with a lively mix of gender-bending adventure and romance’ — Sydney Morning Herald
‘An absolute treasure trove of a book. Francesca has taken the real story of 18th century female pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny and woven something startling, fresh and brilliant.’ — Anna Mazzola, author of A Clockwork Girl
‘A wonderful tale and so exquisitely told … Master and Commander meets Thelma and Louise’ — James Oswald, author of the ‘Inspector McLean’ series
‘Saltblood is an engrossing, deeply felt historical novel [….]. De Tores’s portrayal of Mary is nuanced and riveting, and her prose feels both historically accurate and gorgeously poetic. […] a joy to read.’ — Books + Publishing
‘A thrilling, gender-shaking roar of a tale every reader will enjoy’ — Neil Blackmore, author of Radical Love
Rights sold:
The Fire Sermon Trilogy: HarperCollins (UK), Simon & Schuster (US), Intrinseca (Brazil), Art Line (Bulgaria), Guangxi (China), Euromedia (Czech), Rosinante (Denmark), Hachette (France), Random House (Germany), Metaixmio (Greece), Libri (Hungary), Noura Books (Indonesia), Kinneret (Israel), RCS (Italy), Hayakawa (Japan), Bruna (Netherlands), Foksal (Poland), Presenca (Portugal), AST (Russia), Ikar (Slovak), Planeta (Spain), Solo (Taiwan), Legend Books (Thailand), Yapi Kredi (Turkey), Dreamworks (Film).
The Cookbook of Common Prayer: Allen & Unwin (UK).
Saltblood: Bloomsbury (UK), EO (Italy), Almayer (Spain), and Zhorzh (Ukraine).