News 21 February 2003

Rights

Serial rights for MASTERMINDS OF TERROR have just been sold to a leading Sunday broadsheet. Extracts will be planned to coincide with the publicity campaigns in Australia, Holland and Germany.

The long awaited sample spreads are now available for ATHENS TO ATHENS, the lavishly illustrated official history of the Olympics endorsed by the IOC. Edited proofs of the manuscript will be available within the next six weeks. The book includes personal introductions to each chapter by many famous Olympians, including Native American Billy Mills who won a medal for the US in 1964, German figures skater Katarina Witt, Canadian Percy Williams and Australians Herb Elliot and Cathy Freeman. Publication ties in with the 2004 Olympics in Athens. World rights are available.

HOMELAND: INTO A WORLD OF HATE is getting masses of press coverage.

The Observer review (9th February) referred to it as 'a valuable addition to the bookshelves of anti-Nazi and left-wing campaigners - a kind of Rough Guide to fascism' and went on to say 'HOMELAND is a disturbing read and the author should be encouraged to continue his valuable work.'

TLS (Times Literary Supplement) said in their review (21st February) 'Homeland is reportage of the most illuminating kind - a vividly atmospheric narrative of Nick Ryan's six years exploring the far-right underworld across Europe and the United States... the result is an unsettling and fascinating exploration of the dangerous nether reaches of contemporary culture and politics.'

Reviews are also confirmed in The Times (26th Feburary) and The Daily Mail (21st February). World rights are still available.

Author Tim Madge will be giving a lecture based on his book WHITE MISCHIEF at the Royal College of Physicians on March 13th. Rights to WHITE MISCHIEF have been bought by Avalon in the US who plan to publish in Autumn 2004. Rights have also been sold in Italy and Spain.

UK BEST SELLER

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN climbed higher in the best seller lists this week. It was featured at No.7 in the Sunday Times and The Observer and at No.5 in The Times. In addition to the jacket being flashed on screen at the BAFTAS on the 23rd it has been confirmed that the jacket is also going to be flashed on screen at the British Book Awards on the 24th February. The Guardian reviewed the book on February 15th in which they referred to it as 'obnoxious but riveting - and better than the movie.'

MEDIA TIE INS

FRIENDLY FIRE, the follow up to DOUBLE STANDARDS (TimeWarner, 2002) will be published by Mainstream in Autumn 2003. DOUBLE STANDARDS was the subject of an ITV documentary which went out in a prime time slot in February 2002. Paradine, the production company which made the documentary, also have an option on WAR OF THE WINDSORS by the same authors.

Publicity

NEW TOP TEN

This month although web site sales have remained high they have been across the board with less emphasis on specific books. Today we announce the new Top Ten which sees CATCH ME IF YOU CAN at Number One closely followed by three sports books GULLHANGER, TEAM ON THE RUN and SCUM AIRWAYS.

And Finally...

Earlier this week the Mainstream girls were gathered around life size cut outs of Leonardo di Caprio and Tom Hanks earlier this week for a photo in The Bookseller.

Our designer Tina Hudson (pictured bottom centre) was recently listed as one of Scotland's Top 50 most eligible women at www.scotlandonsunday.com At the eligibles Valentines party she became acquainted with the Number 1 eligible male, actor Billy Boyd of Lord of the Rings fame. Good to see that staff continue Mainstream's success with film tie ins outside office hours!