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News 21 May 2004
Mainstream
Publishing is delighted to have acquired the rights to THE
KING AND I, the uncensored tale of Luciano Pavarotti's
rise to fame by his Manager, friend and sometime adversary, Herbert
Breslin. In 1967, Luciano Pavarotti was an up-and-coming tenor
with a voice far more impressive than his stage technique or presence.
So Decca, his record company, told him 'Luciano, you're a real
nice guy. So you need a real bastard to do your publicity.' Enter
Herbert Breslin. THE KING AND I is the story of their relationship,
during which Breslin moved Pavarotti out of the opera house and
into the arms of a huge mass public. Among other stories he recalls
how Pavarotti transported a whole restaurant to China because he
was worried he wouldn't like the food and more intimately he describes
the succession of Pavarottis' 'secretaries'. THE KING AND I is
the ultimate backstage book, full of hilarious details that could
only come from an insider. The epilogue comes from none other than
Luciano Pavarotti himself. The book will be published simultaneously
by Doubleday in the US. Mainstream hold UK and Commonwealth rights.
Rights sales have been buoyant recently. THE GREAT ESCAPERS has now been sold to Pocket in the US and an offer for THE REAL NUREYEV is on the table from another major US publishing house. The Nureyev book has already been sold to Editions Carnot in France. Sports books, or more precisely hooligan books, are selling well too. We have just had an offer from the Czech Republic for HOOLIFAN and from Russia for THE GEEZER'S GUIDE TO FOOTBALL.
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Film deals related to Mainstream books are also going well. A script is now in for I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. CONFESSIONS OF A SOCIOPATHIC SOCIAL CLIMBER / WHAT KATYA DID NEXT is also gathering pace. There is further interest in HOW TO SPOT A B*STARD BY HIS STAR SIGN from two major production companies and the GIVE ME A RING film deal is progressing. As usual our film rights are handled by Rebecca Watson at V H Associates in London.
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DANCING IN THE SEA by Catherine Hill remains topical. Last week a Jordanian hijacker was sentenced to 160 years in prison for the 1986 hijacking of Pam Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan which is the subject of the book. At least 21 people were killed during the hijacking, including nationals of India, Mexico, Pakistan and the United States.
Publicity for Mainstream titles continues to go through the roof. UP AND OVER is currently no. 1 in The Independent's Top 10 Sports Books (10/5/04) closely followed by ON MY KNEES at no.8 which was Book of the Week in The Independent on 10/5/04. Jan de Vries has had blanket coverage for his latest book FEMALE CANCERS with features in Scotland on Sunday, The Telegraph, The Express and The Sunday Mirror and we have been fielding calls from the all important Richard and Judy Show on Channel 4 who have booked him for 10th June. David Stenhouse has been creating controversy with his book, ON THE MAKE about the Scots taking over London. Interviews include BBC Radio 4 and Newsnight and the book was serialised in the Sunday Times with a specially commissioned piece in the Sunday Express.
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And Finally...
It is with regret that we have to report the death of two Mainstream authors.
Rugby legend Mick Doyle was killed in a car accident in Northern Ireland on 11th May. Despite illness, including a heart attack in 1987 and a brain haemorrhage in 1996, he went on to enjoy a successful career as an outspoken rugby pundit, businessman and vet. Mainstream published his autobiography ZERO POINT ONE SIX in 2001.
Judith Cook died of a stroke in the early hours of 12th May. Mainstream published her controversial book, THE YEAR OF THE PYRES the same year. They will be missed.