Meerkat Press is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Joel Dane’s new novel, The Ragpicker, from Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates, to be published in 2024. We were entranced by Joel’s gorgeous writing and superb storytelling skills in this boldly original dystopian tale and can’t wait to bring this book to the world.
The Ragpicker wanders the lush, deserted Earth, haunted by failing avatars and fragmented texts. He’s searching for traces of his long-dead husband but his journey is interrupted by a girl, Ysmany, fleeing her remote village. Together they cross the flourishing, treacherous landscape towards sanctuary. Yet the signals and static of the previous age echo in the Ragpicker’s mind and whisper in the girl’s dreams, drawing them toward the gap between map and territory—while offering precious hope.
Joel Dane is the author of twenty-four novels across several genres—and pseudonyms. He’s written for TV and podcasts, including a dozen episodes of a Netflix Original Series and an audio drama starring Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto. As Joel Dane, he wrote the Cry Pilot trilogy for Ace Books, and Marigold Breach for Realm.
