Wolverhampton author signs debut novel with Penguin Books
Local author Romalyn Ante, who has lived in Wolverhampton for more than 20 years after moving to the United Kingdom with her family in 2005, has had her first novel acquired by leading publisher, Chatto & Windus.
Ante, who has also worked across local National Health Service hospitals and services, is already well known for her poetry collections AGIMAT and Antiemetic for Homesickness.
Her debut novel, The Left Behind Child, is set for UK publication in August.
The coming-of-age story explores the lives of Filipino families separated by overseas work, following a young girl, Neneng, growing up in Lipa after her mother leaves to work as a nurse in Oman and later in Britain.
The novel shines a light on the emotional cost of migration and the bonds between parent and child — drawing on experiences familiar to many families in Wolverhampton and beyond.
Speaking about the book deal, Ante said she hoped the story would give voice to families whose lives are shaped by separation and sacrifice.
Her literary agent, Blake Friedmann Literary Agency, described the novel as both heartbreaking and hopeful. At the same time, editors at Chatto & Windus praised its emotional depth and its focus on a global workforce that the UK relies on.
For Wolverhampton readers, it marks a proud moment — a local writer bringing an internationally important story to bookshelves around the world.
