A woman gets ready to go to a party. She arrives, feels overwhelmed, leaves, but then returns. Minutely attuned to the people who come into her view and alternating between alienation and profound connection, by the end of the night her narrative reveals something new about what it means to be a human trying to communicate with others.
Ryan explains ‘A Room Called Earth doesn't mention autism — and a whole lot of other 'isms' such as feminism, veganism and mysticism — because I'm interested in the humanity beneath these kinds of labels, which has a habit of getting lost. I want to take readers on an adventure inside the mind of a young woman who is magical, sensitive, and honest. She's also curious and desiring of connection - just like anyone else - and she has the power to show us that, in the end, love is always more important than labels.
Neurodiverse authors are of tremendous value, because we offer a different way of seeing and relating to the world. So publishing our work is not only beneficial for us, it's beneficial for everyone.
I'm so excited that my debut literary novel, A Room Called Earth, is being published by Scribe. Their desire to care for and nurture my perspective, rather than turn it into a gimmick, or a novelty item, is incredibly humbling. They aren't interested in morphing the world that I've created into something that it's not. They want to celebrate it as it is. And to be placed alongside all of their other authors, and titles, is an incredible honour. I feel very blessed.’
Following on from the success of other titles about unconventional women whose stories call societal expectations into question, this book will appeal to readers of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, The Idiot by Elif Batuman, and Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney.
Scribe says: 'A Room Called Earth is a book for the curious, the passionate, the questioning, and those who aren’t afraid to move through the world with an honesty that many people spend their lives running from. It portrays the difficulty we all feel at times when trying to relate to others, but also shows a narrator who is keenly attuned to her own needs. We can all learn something from her openness, radical self-acceptance, and no-bullshit attitude.'
Agent Barbara Zitwer says: 'I knew I had to represent Madeleine Ryan’s debut after reading a paragraph. Her writing is so original and fresh and she is so in the moment, filled with heart and brimming with talent. Anyone, me included, who has ever felt like an outsider can be comforted by Ryan, who lays a crown upon our heads and infuses us with an indomitable spirit. The book is a joyful celebration of being yourself.'
UK&C rights were acquired by Scribe’s Associate Publisher Marika Webb-Pullman from Barbara Zitwer of the Barbara J. Zitwer Agency. A Room Called Earth will be published in the UK and in ANZ in the first half of 2021.