Pantera Press acquires Genevieve Gannon novel

Pantera Press has acquired world rights to Inheritance, a new novel by Genevieve Gannon, author of The Mothers, via Jeanne Ryckmans at Key People Literary Management. Part family drama, part thriller, Inheritance explores the possibilities and dangers of designing the perfect child, releasing 3 September 2024.

In 2027, Emily Monahan is grappling with the decision of whether to take advantage of a new health service that promises a healthier, stronger baby through gene editing. With a mother who has a substance abuse problem and a husband ravaged by the pandemic, there’s plenty in her family tree that Angela would like to protect her unborn child against.

But not everybody loves the so-called designer baby technology. Decades later, Adelaide Liddiard is an ambitious political staffer trying to make a difference in a world where tough new laws curtail the rights of genetically modified people. Many are prejudiced against enhanced humans because the promises of health and special abilities proved false, but she is determined to fight for what she believes in. Adelaide and her husband are also saving and working towards something they’ve called The Cyprus Project, when their plans are derailed by the threat of a new strain of virus.

Told across two generations, and two continents, Inheritance is about the legacies we leave our children, the bonds between mothers and daughters, and how it’s never too late to fix our mistakes.

Genevieve Gannon is an award-winning journalist based in Sydney. Over her 15-year career she has worked as a front-line reporter in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney covering crime, health, social affairs and politics. She was the lead court reporter for Australian Associated Press and has been published in most major Australian newspapers. She is presently the senior journalist at The Australian Women’s Weekly where she is known for in-depth articles on issues relating to the health, rights and safety of women. She is the author of The Mothers and The Gifted Son.

Genevieve Gannon said, ‘Writing a novel can be gruelling, but I loved every second of working on Inheritance. It gave me a chance to explore my favourite things to write about: ethical dilemmas, family secrets and the high-stakes choices parents are sometimes forced to make to protect their children, all informed by real stories that I have covered as a journalist. Inheritance began life as a feature about so-called designer babies. I interviewed academics and scientists, and the subject really got under my skin. I loved imagining how ordinary families would navigate a world where clinics offer the chance to “optimise” your baby, and what the unintended consequences of doing so might be. I’m so happy to be working on it with Kathy Hassett and the whole Pantera team. They’re producing such exciting books, and I’m proud Inheritance is among them.’

Publisher Katherine Hasset said, ‘Genevieve Gannon is an incredibly talented writer who can so cleverly weave a gripping narrative around a thorny moral dilemma like gene editing. I was enthralled by Gannon’s vision of a world where designer babies are a reality (and one that may not be too far away), but what is most compelling about Inheritance is the focus on mothers and daughters and how their choices play out across generations as parents try to do the very best for their children, sometimes with unintended consequences. Pantera are thrilled to have Genevieve Gannon join our list and can’t wait to share this prescient page-turner with readers.’

 

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For further information please contact Connor Parissis: 02 8096 5192 or connor.parissis@panterapress.com