Karl Geary, the Dublin-born actor who co-founded music venue Sin-e and later the Scratcher in New York City’s East Village, has signed a major publishing deal with Harvill Secker for his debut novel after a a five-publisher auction.
Montpelier Parade, which will be published by Harvill Secker next spring, is the story of 16-year-old, working-class Dubliner Sonny Knolls, who wrestles with school, adolescence and difficult conditions at home. One Saturday, while repairing a grand, faded house with his volatile father, he encounters Vera, an older woman, English, educated, and living in strange isolation. The unusual relationship that blooms out of this meeting becomes all-consuming for Sonny, cutting him off from his family and reshaping his lonely, violent life.
Kate Harvey, Harvill Secker’s deputy publishing director, said: “Montpelier Parade held me from the very beginning. As a love story it has all the satisfactions of classic storytelling, but there’s an underlying restlessness and a dark twist that sets it apart. Karl Geary is a wonderful writer: he has a genius for a beautiful sentence; he also knows what should be left unsaid. Our publishing at Harvill Secker is about finding the best writers from all over the world, including the most exciting voices in English. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Karl join us with his superbly accomplished debut novel.”
Geary, 43, has worked as a script writer (Coney Island Baby) and recently adapted and directed Dorothy Parker’s You Were Perfectly Fine for the screen. His acting credits include Michael Almereyda’s Hamlet and Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall. He lives in Glasgow with his wife, the actor Laura Fraser, whose roles include Lydia in Breaking Bad, and their daughter.
