News 17 January 2006

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New Acquisition:

Mainstream is delighted to have acquired the rights to the END OF TIME by Adrian Gilbert, bestselling author of THE ORION MYSTERY and THE MAYAN PROPHECIES. According to the ancient Maya we are fast approaching the end of the present age. On 22 December 2012, the Mayan Long Count calendar will click round to zero for the first time in over 5,000 years. There is a huge and growing expectation that the ending of the Mayan calendar will be a watershed and there are predictions of natural disasters and the end of the world. What will this mean for us? Are we about to witness the realisation of their prophecies of an apocalyptic cataclysm? Is the observed reversal of the earth's magnetic field the mechanism driving changes in our weather patterns? In this extraordinary work of detection, Adrian Gilbert answers these questions and takes the subject much further. Investigating the latest discoveries in Mayanology and using modern technology to trace the movement of the skies through thousands of years. Gilbert shows how the Mayan calendar was based on a profound knowledge of astronomy and reveals how the Maya calculated the exact date of an astronomical event that would take place over 5,000 years ahead of their calendrical start-date. Unlike other academic studies on the subject, this book is written in the form of a personal adventure quest and presented in an easy-to-read format. World rights are available. For further information contact fiona.brownlee@mainstreampublishing.com

Awards:

Wonderful news! Yet another Mainstream title has been short listed for the British Sports Book Awards 2006. This time for BEST ILLUSTRATED TITLE. Mainstream are now shortlisted in three of the four categories. Shortlisted titles include:
BEST ILLUSTRATED SPORTS BOOK - ASHES FEVER by Ian Stafford
BEST NEW WRITER - RONALDO by James Mosley
BEST BIOGRAPHY - BERTIE MEE by David Tossell

Press:

Finished copies of THE PLAYERS, Taking Hollywood for a Ride are just in and feature great pre pub quotes from TV personality Johnny Vaughan and Telegraph writer, Celia Walden:

'A scam of a sham of a scam of a sham...Hilarious...And for once it's Struggling Writers 1 Hollywood United 0' - Johnny Vaughan

'You won't be able to put it down' - Celia Walden

We have also had a pre pub quote for ABODE OF LOVE from the highly respected author, Margaret Forster:

'The most extraordinary story well worth telling'

There was a major feature on IN HITLER'S BUNKER in Time magazine last month. The book is published by Lyons Press in the US.

TV and Radio:

An interview with the author of THE TRIAL OF JACK THE RIPPER was on Inside Out, BBC 1 on Monday, 9 January.

Events:

Mainstream authors Neil Doyle, James Hunter, Billy Kay and Trevor Royle have been invited to appear at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this summer.

And Finally...

A rather belated Happy New Year to one and all. Mainstream concluded the year with a festive lunch at members club, The Hallion, in Edinburgh. Work resumed on Wednesday, 4 January though some of us didn't make it back until the following Monday. It's now business as usual and seems as though we've never been away!