Book deal delight for Esther after online pitch
JUST six months ago, Esther Rutter was stuck in a nine-tofive job, dreaming of becoming a full-time writer.
Now she’s landed a book deal and sparked a bidding war between publishers – all thanks to the internet.
The 31-year-old pitched her book idea on Twitter in just 20 words as part of a competition run by Scottish creative development agency XpoNorth.
And after gaining the interest of top Edinburgh literary agent Jenny Brown, her debut This Golden Fleece will be published in 2019.
Telling the story of Britain’s long love affair with wool, the book will see Esther travel the country collecting stories.
Along the way, she’ll knit 10 unique items, such as a nearwaterproof fisherman’s jumper, in a bid to unravel the unique history of wool.
“It’s quite a big topic when you think about it,” she said from her home in Fife.
“Millions of people knit and wool is worth billions to the economy. I grew up on a sheep farm. I helped with lambing and shearing so I’m used to being around sheep.”
Despite this obvious passion for her subject, Esther admits landing a book deal was a bolt from the blue.
“It’s beyond my wildest dreams, to use a cliche,” she added.
And she’s already been hailed an “instinctive storyteller” by her new publishers Granta Books.