(Ashland, OR/New York, NY) August 28, 2023— Iconic novelist and playwright Ira Levin’s groundbreaking works will be reintroduced by Blackstone Publishing. Blackstone has acquired the rights to re-publish seventeen of Levin’s most influential novels and plays across print, audiobook, and e-book formats beginning October 2023, the largest collection of Ira Levin works ever from a single publisher.
The deal was negotiated by Blackstone Publishing Head of New Business Development Rick Bleiweiss and WME literary agent Mel Berger. Including pop-culture staples such as Rosemary’s Baby, A Kiss Before Dying, and The Stepford Wives, Blackstone recognized the everlasting impact that Levin’s work continues to make in worldwide entertainment, nodding to their influence on works from The Handmaid’s Tale to Get Out.
The genre-defining works of novelist-playwright Ira Levin (1929–2007) include such indelible titles as Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives, The Boys from Brazil, and Deathtrap—the fifth longest-running play in Broadway history. At home in nearly every genre—horror (Rosemary’s Baby), crime (Edgar-winning A Kiss Before Dying), science fiction (This Perfect Day), comedy (No Time For Sergeants), even a Broadway musical (Drat! The Cat!)—Levin’s enduring works continue to resonate with readers and audiences, acting as iconic cultural and creative touchstones.
Bleiweiss says of the deal: “I am ecstatic to have acquired Ira Levin’s classic works, which to me are among the greatest novels and plays ever written. Many were groundbreaking when they were originally published and they all are still vibrant and incredibly readable today. Levin’s canon is a wonderful addition and companion to our catalogs of the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, James Clavell, Leon Uris, HP Lovecraft, and many other of the world’s most important authors. With our new publications of Levin’s works, the reading public can once again be scared, thrilled, amused, challenged, and captivated by his incredible novels and plays.”
Through Levin’s official website IraLevin.org, his estate adds: “We’re thrilled that under Blackstone’s banner, readers will finally be able to experience all of Ira Levin’s stage plays alongside his novels. We’re especially excited by the serendipitous timing, given that – just as Rosemary’s Baby helped launch modern horror, and The Stepford Wives presaged the (ongoing) backlash against women’s rights—his astonishingly prescient science fiction novel This Perfect Day has much to say about the perils of a future ruled by AI.”
Blackstone is set to publish a new edition of Rosemary’s Baby on October 3, 2023, followed by a hardcover collector’s edition in January 2024.
Forthcoming Publications:
ROSEMARY’S BABY – October 3, 2023
A KISS BEFORE DYING – February 6, 2024
THE STEPFORD WIVES – March 5, 2024
THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL – April 2, 2024
SLIVER – May 7, 2024
THIS PERFECT DAY – June 4, 2024
SON OF ROSEMARY – September 3, 2024
DEATHTRAP – January 2025
VERONICA’S ROOM – February 2025
CRITIC’S CHOICE – March 2025
BREAK A LEG – April 2025
CANTORIAL – May 2025
COOK’S GARDEN – June 2025
GENERAL SEEGER – July 2025
INTERLOCK – August 2025
NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS – September 2025
NOTEBOOK WARRIOR – October 2025
About IraLevin.org
Founded in 2009, and turning 15 in 2024, IraLevin.org features a wealth of biographical information, work excerpts, photos, interviews, fun facts, and curated links – even a ‘Levin Listening Room’ with songs and music inspired by his works. Highlights include the special features Rosemary’s Baby Album and Building Stepford Wives, plus a new photo gallery featuring never-before-seen photos of Levin on location at the Dakota with the cast of 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby.
Author Photograph © by Jill Krementz
