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News 5 November 2004
Mainstream
is delighted to have acquired the rights to COOL FOR QAT by
Peter Mortimer, best-selling author of BROKE THROUGH BRITAIN.
When he was commissioned to write a play about the little known
1930's confrontation between Yemeni and British seamen, which resulted
in rioting, he decided to visit Yemen in search of inspiration.
Undeterred by post 9/11 warnings not to visit this 'dangerous
country', he set off and found an extraordinary nation, surprisingly
warm to Westerners. COOL FOR QAT documents this remarkable journey
during which Mortimer pieces together how the 1930s riots arose
and considers their relevance to the Western attitude to Muslims
today. While undertaking a hazardous journey through the mountains
of Tai'iz he meets men who worked as seamen in the UK at the time
of the Arab riot and reveals that he received a marriage proposal
from another man, was feted by a mountain village sheik and how
he immersed himself in the national custom of chewing the narcotic
qat leaf. COOL FOR QAT controversially questions just how 'civilised' the
Western world is in comparison to Yemen. It is a touching, thought-provoking
and at times humorous document of one man's travels through a country
about which little is known in the West.
I
am delighted to be able to report another rights deal this week.
Following interest from various publishers including Penguin, Hardie
Grant and Brand & Schlesinger, Meredith Curnow at Random House
has bought ANZ rights for LAST CHANCE TO EAT by Gina Mallet. The
book has already been published to rave reviews by Norton in the
US and McClelland and Stuart in Canada. Mainstream and Random House
Australia will publish simultaneously in April 2005.
Still
in Australia, contributors to THE REAL NUREYEV,
Bill Akers and Roger Myers, will be interviewed on a major radio
arts programme to complement the extract in Good Weekend Magazine
which is due to appear on Saturday 20th.
I
must make a correction to last week's newsletter in which we stated
that THE KENNEDY CONSPIRACY was to be published
by Carroll and Graf in the US. The author has alerted me to the
fact that North American rights have in fact been sold to Citadel
(Kensington). Shame on Will Balliett at C&G and Bruce Bender
at Citadel for not noticing my mistake themselves!!
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As ever Mainstream sports books are doing well. The Independent on Sunday did a full-page article on GHOST ON THE WALL on 31/10/04. WE ARE TOTTENHAM is still in The Independent Top Sports Books at no.4 and has now been joined by DAYS LIKE THESE which entered the chart at no.8 (1/11/04). ARSENAL ALL 4-1 received a mention in The Times on 1/11/04 and quote of the week comes from Pacemaker magazine regarding ROCK OF GIBRALTAR:
Hannan's debut solo offering is a work to be immensely proud of. It is a cracking read.'
Unfortunately
all those media accolades do not ensure nomination for top sports
award, THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD.
Mainstream is one of only two publishers to have won it twice and
we are frequently on the shortlist. We hope this year will be no
exception. Seventeen books have been long-listed including JOHNNY
OWEN by Jeff Murphy. The shortlist will be announced on
November 8th and the award itself will be presented at Waterstones
Piccadilly on November 29th.
Confirmation
of two sports book launches, ironically on the same night. CHELSEA:
THE 100-YEAR HISTORY by Brian Mears and Ian Macleay will
be launched in a private room at The Pheasantry (now Pizza Express)
on the Kings Road at 6pm on Tuesday, November 30th. Pizza Express
are very kindly hosting the event, which will be attended by current
Chelsea players.
Meanwhile
on the other side of the city the launch for THE FASHION
OF FOOTBALL by Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter has been also
been confirmed for the 30th at Filthy McNasty's in EC1, kick off
at 7pm. Guests will include players mentioned in the book, tailors
and celebrity friends of the authors.
One
more book signing has just been lined up for Mervyn Davies, author
of IN STRENGTH AND SHADOW, at Ottakar's, Carmarthen
on 13th November from 12-1pm.
And Finally...
We have just received a moving letter from a customer regarding DANCING IN THE SEA:
'I was channel hopping one Sunday morning and very briefly came
upon Heaven and Earth. A very striking and forceful presence was
being interviewed... I have now read her book and am touched
and moved and humbled that Catherine Hill has allowed me to share
in her journey through such experiences.'
The book has received some equally flattering customer reviews
on www.amazon.co.uk