Acquisition Announcement: Every Mountain Made Low by Alex White
9th February 2015
ACQUISITION ANNOUNCEMENT:
EVERY MOUNTAIN MADE LOW BY ALEX WHITE
Solaris is thrilled to announce the acquisition of the World English Rights to Every Mountain Made Low, the debut genre-defying fantasy novel by Alex White: a highly talented new writer whose popular original podcast drama series, The Gearheart, has gathered over a million unique downloads since its start.
Solaris Books Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan Oliver, acquired the title from Connor Goldsmith at Fuse Literary Agency.
Featuring Pullman-esque world building and set in a future Alabama city known as ‘The Hole,’ Every Mountain Made Low tells the story of Loxley, a young autistic woman whose family have the ability to see the restless dead. But for Loxley, the spirits of the deceased can see her back; they’re drawn to her like a bright fire, and their lightest touch leaves her with painful wounds. She avoids them as best she can, but she can’t say no to the spectre of Nora, her only friend, who was alive just hours ago. Swearing to take blood for blood and find her friend’s killer, she finds herself drawn into a conspiracy that will see her hunted down by the brutal enforcer of the corporate interests who reign over the hellish city.
Every Mountain Made Low is an incredible and moving debut, featuring a timely and original protagonist inspired by the author’s own son:
“All too often, especially in film and television, autistic characters are reduced to superpowered drag-behinds for the heroes—nothing more than calculators with sad eyes and unbreakable innocence. They’re represented as people to abuse or save, but I believe they have their own stories to tell. My son has his daily struggles, and I’ve watched him develop from a wordless, happy toddler into a young boy with turbulent emotions. He may not be able to speak, but the hardships he faces and the victories he feels are no less real. I tried to model some of his behaviours into the character of Loxley and imagine a world where I didn’t exist—where his mother and I couldn’t help him. By necessity, Loxley has a better grasp of social interactions, but the inspiration for her difficulties is lifted directly from the real world. And, of course, being a grown woman, Loxley will have to face different obstacles than my son, both from her surroundings and her condition. Autistic characters with real agency are underrepresented in fiction, but it is my hope that I can join the precious few authors who do these narratives a service.” – Alex White, author of Every Mountain Made Low.
Speaking on his excitement of the acquisition Jonathan Oliver said “Alex’s prose is beautifully written, his world meticulously constructed, but it’s Loxley herself that readers will truly fall in love with. It’s not often that a novel treats the subject of autism so sensitively and from such an informed standpoint. Alex’s novel is as entertaining as it is intriguing and thought provoking. This is one to break apart the ghetto of genre and show the world why we have all the best stories.”
Every Mountain Made Low will publish into the UK, US and Canada in both trade paperback and eBook in 2016.
Alex White is an artist, composer and writer based in Alabama. His podcast The Gearheart has countless loyal listeners, with over a million episodes downloaded. Every Mountain Made Low is a passion project born of his experience as the father of a child on the autism spectrum, whom he believes can be as heroic as anyone else.
Press enquiries should be directed to Lydia Gittins on PublishingPress@rebellion.co.uk