Dennis Lehane Imprint at William Morrow

Not satisfied with his film adaptations of Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River, nor his own ground-breaking fiction such as The Given Day, Dennis Lehane is launching his own imprint as reported today in Publishers Lunch -

Dennis Lehane Books will "help identify and acquire literary fiction with a dark urban edge." The announcement did not specify a launch title or a release date beyond saying Lehane would oversee publication of a "select number" of fiction titles annually and that he would work with his longtime editor Claire Wachtel. (Lehane's agent Ann Rittenberg negotiated the deal with Morrow.)
Lehane in a statement, "My goal is to call attention to worthy writers, who for some unknown reason aren’t as popular as they deserve to be. That's a reason to get out of bed every morning." William Morrow publisher Liate Stehlik added: "In a world where computer algorithms and screen placement often replace in-store recommendations, having a line of books with a talented and highly regarded writer like Dennis is a great way to help readers discover what to read next. The list will be made up of the kind of high-quality writing that Dennis most admires and that readers would associate with his name."

Photo © 2011 Ali Karim “Mark Billingham Talks to Dennis Lehane at Theakston’s Crime Writing Festival Harrogate”