Author Deesha Philyaw, whose short story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies earned a PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, has signed with Curate Management.
Recently, Philyaw sold her next two books to HarperCollins imprint Mariner Books in a 7-figure deal, with her novel The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman, which centers on a megachurch leader, due out in 2025. This will be followed by Girl, Look, which is described by the publisher as a “vivid snapshot of the interior lives of Black women across generations.”
In Hollywood, Philyaw, along with playwright Tori Sampson, will adapt Church Ladies for television, with the project set up at HBO Max with Tessa Thompson executive producing.
Philyaw joins a Curate author clients roster that includes Station Eleven author Emily St. John Mandel, Oscar Hokeah (Calling for the Blanket Dance), and Chantal V. Johnson (Post Traumatic).
Philyaw continues to be represented by Upstart Crow Literary for publishing.
