News 30 November 2001

Orders are pouring in for the biography of MARTIN McGUINNESS. The book had sold out by the day of publication and the reprint was ordered immediately. Orders have since increased and we are putting through a third reprint to satisfy demand.

Looking to the Spring we have had an enormous amount of interest in ON THE EDGE OF A LIFETIME by Dr Frank McGillion which will be published in April 2002. Demand at the Frankfurt Book Fair was so great that we have produced bound book proofs, something of a first for Mainstream! This week I received an e-mail from an overseas publisher who has just read the proofs and could barely contain her enthusiasm:

'It truly is an amazing story and McGillion's writing is superb. I think it is a most unusual, and brilliant concept in the way he has chosen to tell his story. It will and should, I believe, attract a much much wider audience than the obvious educational and specialist markets. McGillion's humour throughout this often chilling, bizarre and deeply sad story makes his story stand way out from the many stories already available. I note your book information sheet mentions this title being reminiscent to Frank McCourt's ANGELA'S ASHES. In my view McGillion goes even further and is so much better.'

I share her sentiments. If you would be interested in reading the proofs please e-mail webenquiries@mainstreampublishing.com More details about the book can be seen in the 'forthcoming titles' on the Authors section of the site.

In a similar vein we are publishing THE LOOKED AFTER KID by Paolo Hewitt in Spring 2002. Hewitt is best known for his biographies of bands like THE JAM and OASIS and he has written books for Mainstream with Guigsy (from Oasis) and Paul Weller. This book is very different. It is his autobiography and describes in heartbreaking detail his childhood, taken away from his Italian mother and put in care firstly with a foster mother who abused him and latterly in various children's homes. The cover photograph featuring Paolo as a child (above) was sent to him by a boy whose parents ran one of the children's homes. He had heard Paolo on the radio being interviewed about one of his other books and got in touch via the publishers.

Backlist now and Ian Halperin, the author of SHUT UP AND SMILE, is being interviewed for a one hour documentary for Channel 4 on cosmetic bone surgery. It will include a the cover of the book (great cover!) and be transmitted in Spring 2002.

And finally...

I hope that Fiona Henderson at Random House Australia will not mind me sharing her quote about this web newsletter:

'This is great Fiona - very useful (your own little publishers lunch - or snack!)'

It might be lost on authors and booksellers but those of us in the business of selling and buying rights read the Publishers Lunch web newsletter avidly. I took it as a great compliment!