News 22 October 2004

Mainstream is delighted to have acquired the rights to NO ONE TAKES MY CHILDREN by Donya al-Nahia who spent years helping other women whose children had been snatched by their husbands and taken from the UK to the father's country of origin, often in the Middle East. A British woman who had converted to Islam, she was in a unique position to help, being able to bridge the gap between East and West. Then the unthinkable happened: her own children were snatched by her husband and taken to Iraq in March 2003. She knew what she had to do…and nothing would stand in her way. She flew to Iraq, confronted her husband's family with a handgun and recruited the aid of US soldiers who helped her to get the children back from her husband and took her to a safe house before she could fly home. Her husband was later arrested when he tried to enter the UK on a flight from Amsterdam. Held at Wandsworth prison he faced seven years' imprisonment for child abduction until Donya relented and dropped the charges.

NO ONE TAKES MY CHILDREN is a dramatic, emotional and ultimately inspiring story of how one woman's determination and spirit in times of adversity achieved incredible results. It is comparable to international bestsellers NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER by Betty Mahmoody (St Martins / Transworld) and ONCE I WAS A PRINCESS by Jacqueline Pascarl Gillespie (Mainstream / Pan Macmillan Australia) Donya Al-Nahi was born in Scotland and married an Iraqi waiter, with whom she had three children. She is also the author of HEROINE OF THE DESERT (Metro, UK 2003; de Kern, Holland and Wunderlich, Germany) which detailed how she successfully united children with their parents. World rights are available.

NO ONE TAKES MY CHILDREN was one of the most popular books at Frankfurt. The ghost writer will be Eugene Costello whose book WHITE GOLD is a consistent bestseller on Amazon. The manuscript is due to be delivered in November 2004 and Mainstream will publish in Spring 2005. For further information contact Fiona.brownlee@mainstreampublishing.com

Post Frankfurt we have had offers from Calmann Levy in France for IN HITLER'S BUNKER and there is intense Australian interest in KATHY'S STORY by Kathy O'Beirne. A number of Australian publishers are in the frame so a decision will be made next week.

IN HITLER'S BUNKER has now been sold to the US (Lyons Press), Australian (Random House), Spain (El Ateno), France (Calmann Levy) China (Modern Press) and the Czech Republic (Nase Vojsko). A review in the Sunday Times last week referred to it as 'a gripping eyewitness account of the final days of the Third Reich (which) charts his journey from ardent Nazism to utter despair as the Red Army inexorably closes in.'

A number of signing sessions and launch events have been set up for Autumn authors.

SIX APPEAL, The Herald Diary, will be launched at Oran Mor in Glasgow on 28th October.

Authors Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter have arranged an evening at Filthy McNasty's at the end of November to mark publication of their long awaited tome, THE FASHION OF FOOTBALL, featuring wonderful photographs by Terry O'Neill amongst others.

UNTOUCHABLES by Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn will be published by CUTTING EDGE PRESS on October 29th. Andrew Mackinlay MP will mark the occasion by sponsoring a press conference at the House of Commons in the Jubilee Room at 10.30am. The authors will be on a panel with cross party MPs and serving and retired police officers. They will be discussing whether the government has betrayed the Stephen Lawrence inquiry report recommendations for a fully independent police complaints system and if the Home Affairs select committee should investigate Scotland Yard's anti-corruption squad.

The Real Mackay Signing sessions include the following:

Dave Mackay author of THE REAL MACKAY

24 Oct, 1-2pm at Tynecastle, Edinburgh
29 Oct, 1-2pm at Books Etc, Broadgate Circle, London EC2M
29 Oct, 5-6pm at Ottakars, Enfield
27 Nov, 11.30-12.30pm at the Spurs club megastore

Andy Cameron author WAIT TILL YOU HEAR THIS...

30 Oct, 1-2pm at Ottakar's, East Kilbride
6 Nov, 1-2pm at Ottakar's, Buchanan Galleries
13 Nov, 1-2pm at Ottakar's, Ayr

Mervyn Davies author of IN STRENGTH AND SHADOW

13 Nov, 12-1pm at Ottakars, 14/15 Guildhall Square, Carmarthen

Roy Evans author of GHOST ON THE WALL

1 Nov, 3pm at WHSmith, 10-16 Church Street, Liverpool
3 Nov, 7-8pm at Borders, 34 Coliseum Way, Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port
5 Nov, 3pm at WHSmith, New Mersey Retail Park, Speke

Diane Blood author of FLESH AND BLOOD

4 Nov, 12-1.30pm at WHSmith, Meadowhall, Sheffield
6 Nov, 11.30am-1pm, WHSmith, Worksop
10 Nov, 12-1.30pm at WHSmith, Listergate, Nottingham

Tony Book author of MAINE MAN

27 Oct, 5.30-6.30pm at the City of Manchester Stadium, Reebok Store
4 Nov, 7-8.30pm at Borders, Stockport
12 Nov, 12-2pm at Sportspages in Manchester

And Finally...

Our best wishes to Mainstream Publisher, Bill Campbell, who is recuperating from an operation at the moment.