We are thrilled to announce that we have acquired Eugen Bacon’s Sauútiverse novella, The Nga’phandileh Whisperer!
Press Release for The Nga’phandileh Whisperer by Eugen Bacon
Publishers Jendia Gammon and Gareth L. Powell of new speculative imprint Stars and Sabers Publishing acquired world English rights for The Nga’phandileh Whisperer, a genre-bending science fiction, horror, and magical realism Sauúti novella by British Fantasy Award winner, Philip K. Dick and Shirley Jackson Award finalist Eugen Bacon (Mage of Fools – as author; Afro-Centered Futurisms in Our Speculative Fiction – as editor).
We are elated to work with Eugen Bacon again, having bought her mesmerizing short story “The Shadow Eater of Órino-Rin
(A Sauútiverse Story)” for our upcoming 2025 debut cross-genre anthology, Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers. The Sauúti Collective is an Afro-centric universe rooted in African mythologies, languages, and cultures. While reading The Nga’phandileh Whisperer, we were enthralled by the immersive, dreamlike, imaginative, captivating, resonant, and mythic world and words crafted by Eugen, who is one of the top speculative fiction voices of our time.
The Nga’phandileh Whisperer publishes September 2025.
From the Author:
“I sought to craft this novella to satiate my curiosity about the Nga’phandileh, creatures of unreality in the Sauútiverse. I also wanted to write a strong female protagonist into a Sauúti story, and found this in Chant’L—a young Guardian with an affinity to hive-minded beasts, unaware that she has more sound magic than she knows how to use. I am stoked and honored to entrust The Nga’phandileh Whisperer to Jendia Gammon and Gareth Powell, the power couple behind Stars and Sabers Publishing.”— Eugen Bacon, British Fantasy Award winner, Philip K. Dick and Shirley Jackson Award finalist.
We are overjoyed to publish this gorgeous novella from Eugen Bacon as we expand our single-author acquisitions at Stars and Sabers Publishing. We can’t wait to share more of Eugen’s words with the universe!
The book deal is also featured in The Bookseller.
Read more about Eugen Bacon on her website.