When friends make good

If there’s anything I’ve learned in the year-plus I’ve been blogging, it’s that I love it when people I really like get book deals. Because it affirms, at least in my mind, that the world is aligned properly, at least for a brief moment.

Well, now it’s happened again, as Laila Lalami–better known in the ‘sphere as the proprietress of Moorish Girl–has just signed a two book contract with Algonquin Books. I couldn’t be more thrilled for her. 2006 will see the publication of her short story collection, THE THINGS THAT DEATH CAN BUY. A novel is forthcoming afterwards. Her publisher has also brought out or will release books by fine folks like Chimimanda Ngozi Adachie, Steve Almond, and Cynthia Thayer, so she’s in excellent company indeed.

Mark Sarvas, in announcing the deal on his blog The Elegant Variation, drives home an extremely important point: unlike most of those who fall under the “bloggers with book deals” category that gets hyped so much in newspapers, Laila was writing years before she ever decided to blog. This goes for many of us who blog about the literary and publishing landscape as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised–and certainly hope–that many more of those in the lit ‘sphere will be published over the next few years.

Congrats, Laila! And I’m going to reserve my copy as soon as I can.