Literary agent Emma Bal sold UK and Commonwealth rights to editorial director Joelle Owusu-Sekyere at #Merky Books.
Anime Unleashed: A Radical History of a Cultural Beast is an original cultural exploration of the rule-breaking, globally influential popular cultural phenomenon of anime – especially among Black communities around the world who, once inspired by anime, are now redefining it as creators in their own right. This is more than a book about anime – it is a book about culture, identity, community and influence from one of the most exciting leading voices on anime.
Cerise Jackson is a PhD candidate at Oxford University’s Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies with a first-class MA in Japanese Translation Studies from the University of Durham. Their research sits at the intersection of Black and Japanese popular culture, exploring the emergence of ‘Black Anime’, from a hashtag-driven social media movement to a new anime genre form that exposes the cultural complexity of anime today.
Jackson said: “I never could have imagined, as a young academic who struggled with also being a reclusive anime nerd, that embracing both parts of my identity would someday lead to this book. That’s why it was so important to me to tell anime’s story in the same way – by embracing its intersectional identity rather than rehashing stereotypes and clichés. Anime Unleashed is an ambitious attempt at loving anime enough to really speak on it. The good, the bad and the ugly. And I’ll be forever grateful to #Merky Books and Madeleine Milburn for encouraging me to do exactly that.”
Joelle Owusu-Sekyere said: “Cerise has written the pop culture book that anime fans have been waiting for. Bold, original and brilliantly researched, Anime Unleashed offers a fresh perspective on one of the world’s most influential cultural movements, told from someone who is not only a leading voice but a dedicated and authentic fan. I’m thrilled to be publishing Cerise’s debut book and can’t wait for readers to discover this fascinating, conversation-starting exploration of anime’s Black and other identities.”
Penguin Books UK will publish the Anime Unleashed in April 2027.
