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News 20 December 2007
New Acquisition:
Mainstream is delighted to have acquired world rights to TORN APART by Sybil and Blanche de Fleury with Derek Flory. It’s the inspiring and deeply moving story of Sybil Flory from the UK, who has found her sister Blanche in India, 66 years after they were separated by the Japanese bombings in Burma in 1941. Sybil’s son, Derek Flory, discovered the existence of his Aunt via the internet. The sisters spoke for the first time on the phone in June and were reunited in November. In all that time they didn’t know the other was alive, or what had happened all those years ago. Both have extraordinary stories to tell about survival, courage and hope. It’s a story which has huge media potential, TV companies are already discussing a documentary and the book’s setting in pre-war Burma gives it added topicality, given current events. For further information contact fiona.brownlee@mainstreampublishing.com
Rights Sold:
We are in the process of closing an exciting deal with a US publisher for WAR CHILD, full details will be revealed in the New Year.
In addition there have been a number of deals since the last newsletter incluing SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME to K&B Publishers (France); the wonderful MRS MILLS SOLVES ALL YOUR PROBLEMS to Arcopress (Spain); Prime Minister, Gordon Brown’s BRITAIN’S EVERDAY HEROES to Anhui Publishing (China); THE END OF TIME to Stari Grad (Croatia) and AN to Z of THE OCCULT to Euromedia.
On the serial front, The Yorkshire Post will be running two extracts from BEING EDDIE WARING in the first week of January. A great way to start the New Year!
There is already lots of interest from the News of the World and the Daily Mail for next years titles particularly in Craig Murray's forthcoming book.
Publicity:
Reviews continue to roll in for Georgina Hambleton's biography of Christy Brown. After a rave in The Observer last month, Iain Finlayson reviewed the book positively in last Saturday's Times, and the Daily Telegraph have confirmed that they will carry a review early in the new year.
And coverage for our January titles is also shaping up well. Max Arthur's THE BUSBY BABES: MEN OF MAGIC is being published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster on February 6, and media coverage is set to be impressive. The Daily Mail have already confirmed a review and the Guardian Unlimited plan to cover the anniversary in detail, including extensive coverage of the book. To mark the anniversary, Manchester United players will play their derby match that week in strips bearing neither sponsorship nor squad numbers, but instead in shirts similar to those work by the unforgettable Busby Babes, the team that perished in the crash. Media coverage of the commemmorations will be massive, and Max Arthur's book is the only one to be released to mark the anniversary.
January will also see the publication of Tony Hannan's BEING EDDIE WARING. As a houehold name in entertainment as well as a hero among rugby league fans, Eddie Waring and his story has mass appeal, and coverage will be extensive. Following serialisation in The Yorkshire Post, the book will receive blanket coverage in the specialist rugby and Yoskhire-based press, as well as reviews in the Independent on Sunday and Daily Telegraph, to name but a couple.
Bruce Dover will be travelling to the UK from Australia between 11-16 February to promote RUPERT MURDOCH'S ADVENTURES IN CHINA, a biography of Rupert Murdoch.
Events:
Lew Yates (WILD THING) and Steve McLaughlin (SQUADDIE) have had a continuously steady number of events since publication.
Looking to the
New Year our events team have been presenting titles and authors to bookshop head offices and various festivals for 2008 including The Edinburgh International Book Festival; The Word Festival (Aberdeen); Wigtown (Dumfries and Galloway); Cheltenham; Bath; Hay; Aye Write (Glasgow); Bristol
Tony Hannan will be launching BEING EDDIE WARING in January and Paul Howard will be launching SEX LIES AND HANDLEBAR TAPE in April.
Andy McLaren just finished his author tour, he did 5 events over the month (15th Nov- 15th Dec) at various bookshops and football club shops including WHS, Ayr; Kilmarnock FC Club shlop; Borders, Dundee and Ayr United Club Shop.
And Finally...
News that Graeme Blaikie and his wife Rachael who are expecting a baby on May 22nd, coincidentally the same birthday as Marketing / Rights Director, Fiona Brownlee and Finance Director, Douglas Nicoll – put it in your diaries now! We also failed to acknowledge that Paul Murphy, also in editorial, also with a wife called Rachel is having a baby in February. Congratulations to both.