Sarah Maclachlan at House of Anansi Press has acquired world rights to Columbia MFA grad and Banff Centre alum Zalika Reid-Benta’s debut story collection FRYING PLANTAIN for publication under the Astoria imprint in spring 2019. FRYING PLANTAIN is a series of interconnected stories rooted in the Toronto neighbourhood of Eglinton West and Marlee. The reader follows the protagonist, Kara Davis, who transitions from girlhood to young womanhood during the span of the collection. Artfully dealing with family dysfunction and intergenerational cycles, Reid-Benta uses everyday experiences to explore the conflation of Canadian and Jamaican identity. The deal was arranged by Amy Tompkins.

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