Jun 222022
Gianna Lakenauth at Knopf has bought North American rights to Benny Ramírez and the Nearly Departed, pitched as Coco meets It’s a Wonderful Life, plus an untitled second book by José Pablo Iriarte. This magical realism contemporary middle grade tells the story of 12-year-old Cuban American Benny, who must help the ghost of his rich, famous, and morally bankrupt musician grandfather, Ignacio—whose Miami mansion Benny’s family has recently inherited—cross over to the other side before Ignacio’s New Year’s Eve deadline. Publication is slated for spring 2024 and spring 2025, respectively; Kristin Ostby at Greenhouse Literary negotiated the deal on behalf of Working Partners, and Cameron McClure represented the author.