Ain’t No Party Like a Sally Rooney Book Party! Inside the Buzzy “Premiere” of Intermezzo
It’s Sally Rooney’s party—and she can stay home if she wants to. “I think Sally is probably the only author of my generation who you could pull throwing something like this off for without them being here, because her name is so ubiquitous,” Belletrist co-founder Karah Preiss told Vogue. The ‘this’ in question wasn’t the type of established book party the industry has come to know, rather it was a redraft in the form of a Book Premiere, pulling in flashier tactics typically reserved for a red carpet outing to unveil a new movie. And judging by the buzz, Rooney’s incoming fourth novel, Intermezzo, is set to be a box office smash in its own right.
Preiss and lit-loving actress Emma Roberts, who launched Belletrist in 2017, teamed up with storied publishing house FSG to host the bash at the Irish Arts Center on 11th Avenue on Wednesday. Rooney lives just outside a small town in the west of Ireland—similar to the fictional one inhabited by her passion-addled Normal People protagonists—and prefers to let her work be the star of the show, hence why she was not in attendance. It was, therefore, up to the evening’s hosts to put on the type of warm welcome the Irish are known for. Mini shepherd’s pies, imported homegrown cocktail sausages, pints of Guinness, and all.
Preiss, the daughter of a literary publicist and a writer, said that while she grew up fully aware of the importance of marking a new publication, that concept doesn’t feel quite right for the readers of today anymore. “I think the book party—especially as the publishing landscape has changed—has lost its luster a little bit. But I think there’s something provocative about a book premiere insead.” Roberts agreed. “Since COVID, it’s been hard to get Belletrist events going again, but now we’re in a place to get people in a room listening to a DJ and talking to Sally’s editor. Just because it’s a book party, why should the party be quiet?!”
The chance to hear from Mitzi Angel, who’s now FSG president (the first female to hold the role), was a major draw for the crowd. “I published her first novel when I was working in the UK, and I have been working with her ever since,” Angel told Vogue. “I precisely remember reading Conversations With Friends for the first time. The first page made me laugh. There’s something about that moment when you encounter a certain line, a line that seems to contain so much humor, intelligence, and flair, but there’s a control there. Within a few paragraphs, it was apparent that she had that storyteller s gift. The ability to bring characters to life economically, in very few words. That instantaneous moment of recognition happens very rarely, but when it does, it’s one of the great joys in publishing.”
Angel said that FSG doesn’t tend to “do parties like this” often—but a Rooney release is a very special occasion that brings out a dedicated fanbase, ready to be inspired. Similarly, the Irish Arts Center’s director of programming and education, Rachael W. Gilkey, likened the celebration to an evening in 2019 that honored recently deceased novelist Edna O’Brien. Fitting, because arguably, without a trailblazer like O’Brien, there wouldn’t be ensuing generations of Irishwomen keen to dip their pen into the inkwell of life.
