A beautiful story knows no borders.
LiLys Éditions is pleased to announce that the translation rights of The Small Ad by Caroline Allan have been acquired by the Catalan house Obrador Editorial, which will publish the novel in both Spanish and Catalan.
This dual publication represents an important milestone in the journey of the novel. It will allow this deeply human story to meet a new readership, on both sides of the linguistic border, in a region where literature holds an essential place in cultural life.
Founded in Catalonia, Obrador Editorial is an independent house that claims a literature capable of evoking strong emotions and leaving a lasting impression on its readers. Its commitment is clear: to publish little, to accompany each work with rigour, and to defend authors in whom it fully believes. True to its vocation, it develops its catalogue in both Catalan and Castilian, with the ambition of taking its books well beyond its borders.
It is precisely this vision that has captivated LiLys Éditions.
Since its publication, The Small Ad has established itself as a novel that is both funny, tender and deeply moving. Caroline Allan addresses universal themes with great finesse: aging, autonomy, family ties, loneliness… but above all this remarkable ability that human beings have to recreate a family when life brings them together where they least expected to love.
In Brussels, Henri obstinately refuses to leave his home to move into a residence. Rather than yielding to his son's pressure, he publishes a small ad to find housemates. This is how Jacques and Élisabeth enter his life. What was supposed to be a simple cohabitation gradually becomes a human adventure where humour, past wounds and solidarity reinvent daily life.
Driven by lively writing, sharp dialogues and immediately endearing characters, the novel explores deeply contemporary subjects without ever losing its lightness. Through this social comedy full of humanity, Caroline Allan reminds us that it is never too late to start living again.
For LiLys Éditions, this acquisition represents much more than a rights sale. It marks the meeting of two independent publishing houses that share the same conviction: books that can move, make smile and provoke thought deserve to travel.
We extend our sincerest thanks to the entire team at Obrador Editorial (And especially Carme) for their trust and enthusiasm. We look forward to seeing Henri, Jacques and Élisabeth come to life in Spanish and Catalan, and to discovering the readers who will soon welcome them on the other side of the Pyrenees.