News 4 April 2006

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New Acquisition:

Mainstream is delighted to have acquired rights to ONE HAND ON THE CLARET JUG by Norman Dabell. It is the story of the golfers who so nearly won the (British) Open but didn't quite, all the stories behind their near-misses...from Doug Sanders's famous missed three-footer in the 1970 Open to Monty's best attempt at winning the major last year. It includes, of course, Jean Van de Velde's agony at the Barry Burn in 1999 at Carnoustie. Everybody remembers who won the Open but what about those who suffered the heartache of losing it? Norman Dabell is a greatly respected golf writer with a number of books to his name including HOW WE WON THE RYDER CUP ('Inspired' - Sunday Times), WINNING THE OPEN ('Well written and witty' - Golf World) and NATURAL HAZARD ('a joyful romp' - Daily Mail). World rights are available. For further information contact fiona.brownlee@mainstreampublishing.com

Rights Sales:

Another four rights deals to report this week. DAN BROWN COMPANION to Heyne, the same publishers who have bought the long awaited UNLOCKING THE SOLOMON KEY also by Simon Cox. THE END OF TIME to the Czech Republic and ROSSLYN AND THE GRAIL to Romania.

I am particularly excited to report the sale of THE GREATEST FOOTBALLER YOU NEVER SAW by Paolo Hewitt and Paul McGuigan (Guigsy, former bass player with Oasis) to Calmann-Levy in France. I won a PPC / BA award for best non-fiction campaign of the year when it was first published in 1997 so have always been passionate about the book and was thrilled to hear from our French agent, Michelle Lapautre, that she had secured a sale nearly ten years down the line. For further rights information about any of the titles listed above please contact fiona.brownlee@mainstreampublishing.com

Bestsellers

Congratulations to Gil Hess whose sales team have ensured that our biography ROY KEANE Red Man Walking is at No.2 in the Irish bestseller list ahead of author Frank Worrall's visit this week.

THE DAMAGE DONE published in 1997 is still outselling the latest true crime titles. It was featured in the Top Ten bestselling true crime books published by The Bookseller recently.

Publicity

Publicity is pouring in for ROY KEANE Red Man Walking with reviews for confirmed in The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Express, The Sun, Daily Star and Four Four Two amongst others. The author will be heading over to Ireland to promote the book over there before returning to the UK to do over 10 BBC radio interviews.

THE PLAYERS continues to receive publicity. The travel magazine CNN Traveller have reviewed it in their March/April issue ('gripping and at times hilarious book…remarkable') This month also sees the taxi press backing the book. Taxi, the largest circulation taxi paper, printed a full page extract in the 22 March issue; The Badge reviewed the book in the March 2006 edition ('an ace of a book') and there was a review in 10 March issue of The Cab Driver ('well worth a read and it's hard to put down').

Events

Jim Telfer will be signing copies of his autobiography at the Borders Book Festival which takes place from Thursday 22 - Friday 25 June. His event will be at Melrose Rugby Club on 22 June.

And Finally...

Congratulations to editor Paul Murphy who has just got engaged to his long suffering girlfriend Rachel, sold his flat and bought a new home in the same week. A date has not yet been fixed for the wedding but Ailsa is looking anxiously at her editorial schedule wondering how a honeymoon will affect it!