The Authors Guild Foundation will partner with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to publish Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering, a collaborative novel set on a New York City rooftop during the opening days of the global pandemic. Edited by Margaret Atwood, the project will feature original contributions from a group of noted authors. The book will be published through HMH's Sugar23 Books imprint, with all proceeds going to the AGF. Expected publication date is spring 2022.
"At the guild, we realized that we had an opportunity in these dark times to do something positive and even transformative through the creation of this unusual literary work. Human beings have always confronted tragedy by telling stories, and this book would be our answer to Covid-19," Authors Guild president and novelist Doug Preston said, adding that proceeds from the book "will continue this vital work, ensuring that all writers are supported, especially young authors and those from underserved and overlooked communities. Revenue will also continue funding our necessary lobbying efforts in Washington to protect authors' rights and make sure freelancers get the full spectrum of pandemic relief--which, in the beginning, they were denied."
Atwood reached out to writers in all genres for contributors, and those involved in the project include Angie Cruz, Emma Donoghue, Dave Eggers, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, John Grisham, Maria Hinojosa, CJ Lyons, Celeste Ng, Mary Pope Osborne, Ishmael Reed, Hampton Sides, Nafissa Thompson-Spires and Monique Truong.
"Thanks to the writing of our contributors, the cast of lively fictional characters on the Manhattan rooftop in Fourteen Days have much to say to one another about life during the pandemic and even more about life in general, sometimes getting into discussions, debates or outright quarrels--and sometimes finding resolution in unexpected moments of empathy and connection," said Atwood. "To provide a narrative framework, we structured the work so that the building's super records the stories and conversations on her cellphone to create an unauthorized guerilla text."
Millicent Bennett, editorial director at HMH, acquired world rights to the project for Sugar23 Books, led by Angela Ledgerwood. "Daring storytelling has always had a home here at Sugar23, so we jumped at the opportunity to be involved in such a creative endeavor," said Sugar and Ledgerwood. "Fourteen Days grabbed us right away because it brings to life a community of people, quite literally, grappling with what it means to be a good neighbor under extenuating circumstances. We are thrilled to be working with such talented authors alongside our wonderful partners at HMH."
All contributors to Fourteen Days will receive an honorarium, courtesy of Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins, who made a donation to the Authors Guild Foundation to underwrite the project. Liz Van Hoose is the foundation's project editor, working with Preston to develop characters and weave the stories together. Dan Conaway and the Writers House literary agency waived their commission for representation of the work.