Polis Books is thrilled to announce the acquisition of North American print, ebook and audio rights to Dark Chapter, the powerful debut novel by Winnie M Li, a Taiwanese-American writer based in London, in a deal brokered by Maria Cardona at the Pontas Literary & Film Agency. Dark Chapter is an important piece of fiction, partially based on Li's own harrowing experiences, heralding its author as an extremely gifted writer and powerful new voice.

Dark Chapter centers around Vivian, a cosmopolitan 29-year-old Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure travel. Johnny is a 15-year-old Irish illiterate teenager, defiant, living a violent, neglected life on the margins of society. One Spring afternoon, their paths cross in a park in Belfast, where Johnny assaults Vivian, irreparably changing both of their lives from that moment on.

Told equally from the perspective of both victim and victimizer, Dark Chapter delves into the pasts of these two very different characters, exploring the chain of events which led to their terrifying encounter, and examining the ripple effects and ramifications of this horrifying act of violence. Bold, riveting, and above all human, Dark Chapter is a first novel that announces an extraordinary new talent in Winnie M. Li.

In addition to Polis's acquisition of North American rights, UK & Commonwealth (excluding Canada) were sold to Lauren Parsons at Legend Press. Both deals were brokered by Pontas Literary & Film Agency. Other rights inquiries regarding Dark Chapter can be directed to [email protected].

About Winnie M. Li: Winnie M. Li is a writer, filmmaker, arts festival producer, and creative consultant. Taiwanese-American and raised in New Jersey, Winnie studied Folklore and Mythology at Harvard, specializing in Celtic Languages and Literature and writing for the Let’s Gotravel guides in her summers. In 2000, she was selected as a George Mitchell Scholar and earned her MA in English at the National University of Ireland, Cork. As Head of Development at Ugly Duckling Films in London, Winnie was involved in producing six award-winning feature films and two shorts, one of which was Oscar-nominated® and the other Oscar-shortlisted®. She served as Programme Manager for the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar and later Film Series Producer for the Doha Film Institute, where she brought 200+ screenings of arthouse and foreign films to a city accustomed to mainstream Hollywood movies.

Currently, Winnie is a PhD researcher in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics, researching the impact of social media on the public discourse about rape and sexual assault. In 2016, she launched Clear Lines, the UK’s first-ever festival dedicated to addressing sexual assault through the arts and discussion. She has spoken at many places including Harvard University, Trinity College Dublin, RADA, and the London School of Economics.

She can be reached on Twitter at @winniemlior online at www.winniemli.com.

For more information on Winnie M. Li andDark Chapter, or to receive advance copies for review purposes, email us at [email protected].