World English language rights (ex-South Africa) in Imraan Coovadia's 'witty, twisted tale of criminal wiles' (Maureen Isaacson, Sunday Independent) have been sold to Naveen Kishore of Seagull Books. Seagull Books (click here for more information), based in Calcutta, London and New York, publish the work of Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Jean Paul Sartre, Tzvetan Todorov, Tariq Ali and Slavenka Drakulic, among others, and are launching a World Literature Series in 2010, of which Coovadia's brilliantly edgy comic novel will form part.

In Oprah Magazine, Jane Raphaely calls the novel 'a madcap swing through a tangled web of family morality.'  'Fast-paced and full of irony and beautiful prose, GREEN-EYED THIEVES takes an alternative look at 9/11', says South Africa's Sunday Times.  It's a daring novel of divided selves and cultures, inspired crime and brotherly betrayal, written in scintillating prose. Moving from Johannesburg to Pakistan to New York, the story centres on the green-eyed Dawood family of Johannesburg, in particular twin brothers Ashraf and Firoze, identical in appearance, but very different in personality…

GREEN-EYED THIEVES, published by Umuzi in South Africa, was shortlisted for the M-Net Literary Prize 2007, and was runner-up for the South African Sunday Times Literary Prize 2007.

Imraan Coovadia's latest novel, also published by Umuzi in South Africa, is HIGH LOW IN-BETWEEN, which Vikas Swarup has described as 'a wise book, full of provocative insights.' HarperCollins India will publish HIGH LOW IN-BETWEEN in April 2010.

Praise for GREEN-EYED THIEVES:

'A larger-than-life comic tale of outstanding craftsmanship.'
-- Sandile Ngidi, The Sunday Independent (Writer's choice 2006)

'Coovadia has created a glorious firework of a book. His prose fizzles along, full of invention and wit, and his story touches on major issues with the lightest of hands. Perhaps Salman Rushdie is something of a literary godfather to GREEN-EYED THIEVES, but Coovadia is fast developing his own voice, laced with delectable humour that makes his book pure pleasure...GREEN-EYED THIEVES is a winner all the way, with a satisfying twist in the tail.' 
-- Margaret Von Klemperer, Natal Witness Review

'GREEN-EYED THIEVES hurtles along in a modern and urban, somewhat Islamic, subculture spanning continents. Amusing and complicated à la Rushdie, it is a highly original work.'
-- Jane Rosenthal, Mail and Guardian, Best books of 2006