Footnote pre-empts reworking of Noah’s Ark narrated by a flea

Footnote Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has pre-empted a “unique” and “passionate” re-working of the story of Noah’s Ark narrated by a flea.

Commissioning editor Serena Arthur acquired UK and Commonwealth excluding Canada from Laetitia Rutherford at Watson Little Agency. Pray Animal by Timna Fibert will be published in hardback, audiobook and e-book in March 2027.

Galley Beggar Short Story Prize-winner Timna Fibert’s debut is set on a cruise ship containing what might be the last of humanity and narrated from the “deeply imagined” perspective of a flea.

Fibert said: “I am so glad Pray Animal and its flea narrator have found a home with Footnote Press. From the outset, I felt they embraced the flea’s passionate contradictions: her metaphysical hungers and her tiny, tender love story. The genuine affection Serena and the team have shown for this savage little creature on her mysterious journey through the flood has encouraged me to lean further into the comedy and pathos of something so small finding itself at odds with the infinite.”

Arthur said: “Timna’s novel is one of the most genuinely unique books I’ve ever read. Our narrating Flea’s voice immediately draws you in and refuses to let you go. The internal buzz for this, even from acquisition, speaks to just how much our exceptional Flea has already captured people’s hearts. Beautifully written, intriguing and heartfelt, Timna’s debut feels simultaneously modern and classic, and has been such a pleasure to work on. I genuinely cannot wait for more people to read it.”

Rutherford added: “Both Timna’s idea to retell the story of Noah’s Ark on a modern cruise ship from the point of view of its tiniest passenger, the flea – her extraordinary writing style had me hooked. We are thrilled to find such smart and passionate partners in Serena Arthur and the Footnote team at Bonnier.”