Acquisition Announcement: CITY OF OTHERS by Jared Poon

Orbit is thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired debut author Jared Poon’s City of Others, an action-packed, heart-warming, and utterly delightful urban fantasy novel set in contemporary Singapore. Featuring workplace found family, queer romance, and supernatural creatures straight out of Southeast Asian lore, this is the perfect read for fans of Rivers of London, A Master of Djinn, and TJ Klune (and for anyone who feels like they need an escape from the monotony of real life).

In the sunny city of Singapore, the government takes care of everything—even the weird stuff.

Benjamin Toh is a middle manager in the Department for Engagement of Unusual Stakeholders (DEUS), tasked with taking care of the supernatural occurrences and people no one else wants to deal with, from restless ghosts to immortal gods to conniving jinn. Overworked and underpaid, he must juggle the demands of senior management, an elderly father, and a new boyfriend, all while trying to keep his team out of trouble.

When an entire block of flats goes missing in the town of Clementi, drowned in an otherworldly wave, the information he needs to prevent another catastrophe lies in the pasar bayang—the shadow markets. But the demigod protector of the markets has neither forgotten nor forgiven their humiliation by the Singapore authorities decades ago. Ben will need to wrestle with the legacy of his government and the whispers of his own insecurities, navigating landscapes both urban and fantastical, both inside the soul and outside the real world, all so he can just do his goddamn job.

Agent Maddy Belton said: “Infused with warmth and wit, Jared’s voice captivated me from the very first page! City of Others is a fresh and glorious take on urban fantasy, with characters that take hold of your heart and a magic system that feels truly unique. I’m so excited to see the team at Orbit bring this book to life and launch Jared as a brilliant new voice in the genre.”

From US editor Angelica Chong: “City of Others is filled with big feelings, big imagination, and a big heart. I’m so impressed by the way Jared’s captured the rich, vibrant culture and bureaucratic absurdity of the Singapore I know and love, and I can’t wait to introduce readers to Ben and his escapades. This book holds such a special place in my heart!”

From UK editor Emily Byron: “City of Others is a pure delight to read! A book filled with wonder, magic, adventure and heart. I was immediately captivated by the vibrant worldbuilding and stayed for the wonderful cast of characters, all just trying to do their best against the odds. I’m so excited to introduce this brilliantly fresh, fun urban fantasy to UK readers.”

And author Jared Poon added: “Writing City of Others was my way of rediscovering wonder for myself, here in my adult life, of excavating enchantment from places and jobs and lives that I’ve been told are supposed to be boring. I did a lot of child-like giggling while writing this, and I may have squealed like a delighted baby when I learnt that I’d be getting to work with the wonderful teams at Orbit US and UK, whose books I grew up with. Magic does exist, folks.”

City of Others will publish in March 2026. In the meantime, you can find Jared on X @jared_poon.

Jared Poon is a philosopher, facilitator, and game designer, working with governments in Southeast Asia and around the world to improve policy-making through storytelling, imagination, and co-creation. He’s a recovering public servant, and lives in Singapore with his husband and two very silly cats.

Orbit US associate editor Angelica Chong acquired World English rights from Maddy Belton at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. Senior commissioning editor Emily Byron has acquired UK rights for Orbit UK.