Sphere to publish Sue Hincenbergs’ hilarious debut in a major pre-empt

Publishing Director Ed Wood acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Rachel Neely at Mushens Entertainment, who turned down five pre-empt attempts from multiple publishers before Sphere won the day. Sphere said The Retirement Plan is Little, Brown’s “biggest commercial launch title of the year” and they will publish The Retirement Plan in Summer 2025, backed by a year-long lead-up campaign.

The Bent Agency has sold US rights to William Morrow and Canadian rights to HarperCollins Canada, also in major pre-empts. Film rights have been sold by WME to "an acclaimed US studio" with a major producer attached. And if that were not enough, The Retirement Plan has translations deals with a further nine territories: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Bulgaria.

Sue Hincenbergs is based in Toronto and she was a long-time producer in Canadian television before she turned her hand to writing. Her novel follows 60-something Pam and her two friends who have had enough of their suburban, dull marriages. On discovering their husbands have substantial life insurance policies, they decide to murder their other halves and start their lives anew in Florida. Unbeknownst to them, their husbands have been ripping off the local casino. Now someone is coming to kill them… but who?

 Ed Wood commented that, “The Retirement Plan is, hands down, the best time I’ve had reading a debut novel in years. It’s full of deliciously dark humour, murderous misunderstandings, twists galore and most importantly is ultimately, a warm-hearted book about real, flawed people.”

Congratulations, Sue!