We’re kicking off the week with the wonderful news that world English rights to Hollie Starling’s memoir The Bleeding Tree have been snapped up by Rider editor Bianca Bexton from Joanna Swainson. The Bleeding Tree is a raw and candid memoir providing a pathway through grief guided by forests, folk tales and the ritual year. Publication is set for spring 2023.

Hollie said: “Over the past year and a half I have been struck by the human universality of looking to nature for the contemplation of death. In times past this rumination became stories and those stories became folklore. Tales that sought to make sense of mortality, loss and the continuing relationship between our dead and those of us left behind. During what can be a particularly bewildering and lonely type of grief I found commonality and comfort in folk traditions around death and performances of ritualised mourning from across the world. I’m so happy that Rider want to help me share these stories, and to know that this very personal project of mine is in safe hands.”

Joanna said: “I was so struck by Hollie’s beautiful proposal when it came into submissions. Part memoir, part journey through folklore, Hollie makes a fascinating case for ritualised mourning with writing that is immediate, engaging and darkly humorous. It will speak to so many people. Bianca and the Rider team’s response was brilliant and I can’t wait for them to publish this wonderful and wide-ranging book.”

Bianca said: “This is an extraordinarily moving and thought-provoking memoir on what it really feels like to grieve a loved one. Hollie effortlessly blends an intensely personal journey with a sharp and witty insight into how nature and the rituals of our ancestors can help us all find solace and meaning in times of personal pain. We can’t wait to share this beautiful book with readers.”

Read the full Bookbrunch here.