Book publisher Canongate has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to Heart the Lover by Lily King following a six-way auction, book news company The Bookseller revealed on Monday.

Publisher and commercial director Jenny Fry secured the deal from Amy Hundley at Grove Atlantic, with publication set for October 2025. Grove Atlantic will publish the novel simultaneously in North America, where Elisabeth Schmitz acquired rights from Julie Barer at The Book Group.

Heart the Lover follows a successful writer forced to confront the choices of her youth after an unexpected visit revives memories of her college years, where she was drawn into an intense friendship with charismatic students Sam and Yash.

King, author of five novels including the New York Times bestseller Writers & Lovers and Euphoria, is a recipient of awards such as the Barnes and Noble Discover Prize, the Kirkus Prize and the New England Book Award for Fiction.

The author expressed enthusiasm about partnering with Canongate, praising the publisher's energy and independent spirit. Hundley highlighted the novel's potential to expand King's readership, while Fry described Heart the Lover as combining the lyricism of a short story with the emotional scope of an epic, encouraging industry interest ahead of proof distribution.