News 2 November 2001

BIN LADEN publication date has been brought forward to November 12th following the serialisation deal with a leading national newspaper. A news item on the US based Publishers Lunch web site has resulted in interest from several major American publishing houses.

JIHAD! by Tom Carew continues to make the headlines. On Wednesday October 31st The Guardian newspaper interviewed Mainstream director Bill Campbell about Jihad! for a feature about books which have become best sellers as a direct result of recent events:

The September 11 attacks have sparked massive public interest in the hitherto obscure arena of Islamist politics, central-Asian oil reserves, post-Soviet Afghanistan and the structure of the Taliban and al-Qaida. The chief beneficiaries of this voracious appetite for information are the authors and publishers of half a dozen books, the success of which could not have been forecast when they were commissioned.

The story was then followed up in The Bookseller.

Another book which has been turned round quickly in a direct response to current affairs is THE YEAR OF THE PYRES. It follows the story of the foot and mouth epidemic from the first outbreak in February until the present. Author Judith Cook will be interviewed about the book on GMTV (national breakfast news) on Sunday 11th November.

Last weeks news story about GOOD GIRLS DO SWALLOW has resulted in enquiries from all over the world. World rights are held by Random House Australia but Mainstream hold British and Commonwealth Rights. TV rights have already been sold to WTN in Canada and negotiations have taken place with Canadian publishers in the past week.

Closer to home launch parties have been held for BORDERLINE: THE MAINSTREAM BOOK OF SCOTTISH GAY WRITING (Wednesday 31st October) and SCOTTISH ART IN THE 20TH CENTURY 1890-2001 (Thursday 1st November).

The next major public event will be for WARTIME WANDERERS at the Reebok Stadium, the Bolton Wanderers football ground.

During the second world war the entire team signed up and faced some of the heaviest fighting of the Second World War. They also established themselves as a formidable Regimental football team and on 24th November a member of the original team, Nat Lofthouse, will be signing copies of the book.