Cover Story: The Two Sides of David Borgenicht

Amid the gussied up romances, male action fables and screenplay-bound interpersonal dramas making up The New York Times’ trade fiction best-seller list, one book stands out like a corpse at a wedding. It’s called “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” currently the only book on the list to combine gory scenes of zombie mayhem with the romantic exploits of a beloved Victorian-era literary heroine. Nothing in the book world in recent months has made the kind of splash (or should we say, splatter) that this title has, from the frantic Internet buzz greeting the announcement in February of its publication to the huge sales following its release this spring. The book has even been added to the curriculum at several university English departments.
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” was the brainchild of Jason Rekulak, editorial director at Quirk Books, a small publisher headquartered along a genteel block in the Old City section of Philadelphia. “We thought it was hilarious,” recalls company President and Publisher David Borgenicht. “I was a little uncertain as to whether it would find a market, who it would appeal to, but we all agreed the idea was too crazy not to try it.”