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News 13 December 2005
New Acquisition
Mainstream Publishing has acquired rights to THE BEGINNING OF THE END, The Crippling Disadvantage of a Happy Irish Childhood by New York based reporter, Walter Ellis.
Ellis grew up in East Belfast. His father was a commercial traveller, his mother a housewife. He and his sister were not abused as children. Ellis was never forced to wear girls' clothes or spend days naked in a cold cellar. Instead, he was sent to school each week and to church on Sundays. But, as if anticipating this memoir, Ellis was determined that he should not suffer from the crippling disadvantage of a happy childhood. Systematically, he set about destroying everything that gave him stability. He got expelled from school and dropped out of two universities. He then entered a career in journalism that, after a promising start and a decade of genuine achievement, came shuddering to a halt when he was sued by his own editor.
Overshadowing all of this was his long, disturbed friendship with Ronnie Bunting, the terrorist who presided over the team that blew up a leading politician in the car park of the House of Commons. Ronnie was a powerful, demonic personality who 'possessed' Ellis from an early age. He once foisted Ireland's Most Wanted man on Ellis's mum for the weekend and gave Walter a suitcase to look after that turned out to contain the proceeds of an armed robbery. Ronnie subsequently died in a hail of bullets and THE BEGINNING OF THE END tells the remarkable story of how the author survived this friendship.
Walter Ellis's memoir is sure to shock, disturb and intrigue but above all the writing is humorous and a welcome antidote to memoirs of many Irish childhoods. Ellis lives in New York and contributes to various US papers, The Sunday Times, The Times Higher Education Supplement, The Belfast Telegraph and The Spectator. World rights are available. For further information contact fiona.brownlee@mainstreampublishing.com
Rights Sales
Rights sales are going well. In the last month:
UNLOCKING THE SOLOMON KEY has been sold to four more countries - Prozoretz in Bulgaria (c/o Transnet Contracts Ltd); Euromedia in the Czech Republic (c/o Dilia); Damm in Norway (c/o Jan Michael); AST in Russia (c/o Synopsis Literary Agency).
ROSSLYN AND THE GRAIL has been sold to three countries - Stari Grad in Croatia (c/o Transnet Contracts Ltd); Helion in Poland (c/o Graal) and Truva in Turkey (c/o Onk Agency).
THE DAN BROWN COMPANION has been sold to Euromedia in the Czech Republic (c/o Dilia) and AST in Russia (c/o Synopsis Literary Agency).
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TV/ Film
A German based TV production company are planning a documentary on Gordan Haskell, author of THE ROAD TO HARRY'S BAR. It will be along the lines of the Polish DVD which is coming out to coincide with the launch of the book, single and album in February.
Awards
COMMON PEOPLE by Martin Knight, first published by Mainstream in 2000, has been selected by the British Council as one of their recommended reading titles on the subject of working-class culture. The British Council describe their rationale thus:
"We promote innovative and contemporary work from the UK, and build
audiences for international literature through the British Council's global
network. Our commitment to finding and showcasing high-quality writing and
new voices informs everything we do. "
http://www.encompassculture.com/results/?qs=Martin%20Knight
Separately, the London Borough of Lewisham are including COMMON PEOPLE in their workshops on "Community Strength and Value". Tutor Lawrence Darani said, "I think COMMON PEOPLE is an immensely readable and warm book about working-class communities but raises some provocative and thoughtful themes which we like to explore in our workshops."
Martin Knight's next book BATTERSEA GIRL will be published in September 2006.
Events
We have had numerous signing sessions during the busy Autumn season and there are now only two more to go. One of our most popular authors has undoubtedly been Celtic footballer, Stilyan Petrov, famously known as 'Bulgaria's answer to David Beckham'. In addition to seven signing sessions he spent one day last week in the bowels of the Mainstream building signing a thousand copies to be used as car stock. For further information contact Karen.brodie@mainstreampublishing.com
13 Dec |
Jack Matthews and Bleddyn Williams will be with Steve Lewis signing copies of THE PRICELESS GIFT at WHSmith, Cardiff, 1-2pm |
15 Dec |
Iestyn Harris will be signing copies of IESTYN HARRIS at Borders, Warrington, 6-7pm |
And Finally...
Congratulations to Tessa Estevez of our Spanish agents A.C.E.R who had a baby girl, Sara, in November.