Manilla Press, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has acquired Under a Fur Coat, the debut novel from Sonya Vatomsky who was shortlisted for the PFD Queer Fiction Prize. It will be published in September 2026.
Senior commissioning editor for Manilla Press, Zoe Yang, acquired world all-language rights from Judith Murray at Greene & Heaton via a pre-empt.
Under a Fur Coat is an art novel with obsession at its heart and folklore around the edges. It follows Vivienne, a photographer from Manchester, who arrives at a boarding house on a tiny Finnish island hoping to rekindle her creativity and heal her broken heart. Instead, she misses her wife. Her camera hangs at her side unused. And her fellow guests keep inviting her into the forest.
Vivienne quickly grows close with Ilya, the affable caretaker, and Gagarin, a rebellious mycologist. And when Gagarin confesses she’s searching for a mythical bracket fungus – the Bigfoot of mushrooms – Vivienne throws herself headfirst into the cause.
The days pass in a blur of snow and birch trees and vodka. Yet the longer Vivienne spends in the forest, the more it consumes her. Haunted by lost time, inexplicable acts of violence, and rising tensions among the guests, Vivienne begins to suspect there’s something darker behind Gagarin’s determination. Because ambition always requires sacrifice. She’s just not sure whose…
Sonya Vatomsky said: ‘Under a Fur Coat takes place in a fictional house on a very real island. Like Vivienne, I first visited Seurasaari during winter – and, whilst wandering past ancient trees and farmsteads, knew it was the perfect setting for a tale about identity, obsession, and the rituals we create to survive. I’m so pleased my novel has found a home with Zoe Yang and Bonnier Books UK. I’m also grateful for initiatives like the Greene Door Project and the PFD Queer Fiction Prize, which support underrepresented writers.’
Zoe Yang said: ‘I am delighted to be publishing Sonya’s novel – a story that completely gets under your skin. It is deeply moving read with so much to say about grief, community and love. Under a Fur Coat is very unique and very special.’
Judith Murray said: ‘As soon as I started reading Under A Fur Coat, and crossed the bridge to Seurasaari Island with Vivienne, I knew that I would travel anywhere that Sonya took me as a writer and believe as many tall and magical and wildly funny tales about their beguiling characters and the landscape they create on the island, as they would spin to me. I love that Zoe also fell in love with the novel and Sonya’s writing – and can’t wait to see the novel, with its super stylish and beautiful jacket, in the hands of as many readers as possible.’
Under a Fur Coat will be published in hardback, trade paperback, eBook and audio on 24th September 2026.
