Debut novel by Mo Siewcharran Prize shortlistee Rajasree Variyar acquired by Orion
Orion Fiction has picked up a “moving and powerful” debut from Mo Siewcharran Prize shortlistee Rajasree Variyar.
Editorial director Rhea Kurien will lead the publication of The Daughters of Madurai in March 2023 after Harriet Bourton acquired UK and Commonwealth rights last year from Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment.
The synopsis states: “Spanning across 90s South India and present-day Australia, The Daughters of Madurai follows two women: Janani, a young mother who will do anything to protect her unborn daughter, and Nila, who knows very little about where her family came from, or who they left behind.”
Kurien said: “From the moment we all read this moving and powerful debut, there has been so much love here at Orion for The Daughters of Madurai. While it explores the harrowing issue of female infanticide still at large in so many parts of the world, this is also very much a universal story about the bond between mothers and daughters, the strength of women and the power of love in overcoming all obstacles. Rajasree is an unforgettable and compelling new voice and this is a story that deserves to be read and discussed for years to come.”
Born in Bangalore and raised in Sydney, Australia, Variyar has been a Londoner for the past six years. Her short stories have won second prize in the Shooter Literary Magazine short story competition in 2019 and been longlisted for the Brick Lane Bookshop short story competition in 2020.
She said: “I am delighted that this novel has found its home with the wonderful team at Orion Fiction. It sprung, a story desperate to be told, from a childhood memory of watching a news segment of a female infanticide case in my birthplace of Bangalore. The thought hit me then, at age 10, that if things had been a little different, that baby could have been me, or my mother, or my sister. Later, I was fortunate enough to spend time with a wonderful grassroots charity in Madurai working to eliminate female infanticide at its source, by empowering women and educating girls and boys alike. The women I met there provided invaluable inspiration and motivation to write this story, and I am unbelievably excited and honoured to be able to introduce Janani and Nila to the world.”
Mushens added: “The Daughters of Madurai is both a heartrending family story and a page-turning mystery about the secrets we must keep in order to protect those we love. It’s utterly immersive and I cannot wait for readers to meet these characters.”