‘I wanted to write a suburban Reacher’: Richard Osman talks to Lee Child about class, success and the secret to great crime writing

The two bestselling authors who both started in TV discuss writing as a second career, natural justice – and what they really think of literary fictionIn the four years since Richard Osman published his first Thursday Murder Club novel he has consistently topped the bestseller lists, and now his quartet of retirement-age detectives will be portrayed on screen by a cast including Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan. Having grown up in Sussex, Osman started out in TV, where he created and co-hosted the gameshow Pointless. His forthcoming novel We Solve Murders – the start of a new series – features a writer billed as the world’s bestselling novelist, “if you don’t count Lee Child”. Child, the creator of former military police officer Jack Reacher, has enjoyed phenomenal popularity since he left his career – also in TV, where he worked on shows including Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown and Cracker – and started writing, with his first novel published in 1997. Raised in Birmingham, he moved to the US in 1998 and now lives between Manhattan and rural Wyoming. He wrote 24 Reacher novels before announcing in 2020 that he would be handing the series to his brother Andrew.Lee Child I feel that writing is always a second-phase career, or at least should be. It’s that rare thing that not only can you do it when you’re older, but you should do it when you’re older. Pick your cliche: your gas tank is full, your database is compiled. You are a person. You are ready to write.... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2024-09-14 09:00:23 UTC ]
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Books-A-Million Investor Wants to Stop Buyout, Again

Susan Vance is trying to halt the proposed $21 million takeover of the nation's number two chain by the Anderson family, who are the controlling share holders in the company. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Challenges of Translating Harper Lee

The success of "Go Set a Watchman" has translated into success for the Spanish edition of the book. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Media Amplification is Key to Small Press Success

Chad Post of Open Letter Books explains how leveraging social networks for media amplification is now a key to small press marketing success. The post Book Media Amplification is Key to Small Press Success appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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VIDEO: The secret of adult colouring books

Colouring books for adults are topping bestseller lists. Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford tells us the secrets of her success. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2015-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Boris Johnson to write Shakespeare biography

Boris Johnson is to write a biography of William Shakespeare for Hodder & Stoughton for October 2016. The publisher has confirmed the deal, which was reported in the Sunday Times to have been done for £500,000. The newspaper reported that Johnson’s advance was almost seven times his salary... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hodder stoughton #sunday times #boris johnson #william shakespeare #winston churchill #nielsen bookscan


Pearson confirms Economist sale talks

Pearson has confirmed that it is in talks to sell The Economist Group. The company said it is “in discussions” with the board of The Economist Group and with trustees regarding sale of its 50% share. “There is no certainty that this process will lead to a transaction,” said a statement from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does the age of an author matter when writing YA fiction?

The Book Doctor goes right back to beginnings of YA and teen fiction in the 1950s and 1960s to investigate whether author age has anything to do with reader experienceI saw several really young writers at the Young Adult Literature Convention (Yalc) who seem to know just what their readers are... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you want to get ahead, get a scanner

New online publishing house Canelo’s decision to recognise the importance of properly scanned books can only be good for the reputation of ebooks as a wholeA few years ago, I had a go on a book-scanning machine at the Internet Archive in San Francisco, used for making clear digital copies of... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pearson in 'advanced talks' to sell FT

Pearson has confirmed it is in “advanced discussions” to sell the FT Group. Press speculation has been rife this week that a sale has been made ahead of Pearson’s half-year results, which are due to be reported tomorrow morning (24th July). While Pearson confirmed it is in talks to sell the FT... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Kitchens of the Great Midwest': Just something J. Ryan Stradal whipped up

When he was 5, J. Ryan Stradal wrote his name in crayon on the inside jackets of his favorite books. Only he didn't write "property of"; he wrote "written by." Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Student blog: success and serialisation

Big successes in the publishing industry come in threes…or fours, fives, and sixes. Serialisation is a key factor in developing brands and launching star authors such as JK Rowling and George RR Martin. Publishing a series means each successive book accumulates a larger readership (propagated... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee dominates US chart

Harper Lee dominated Nielsen BookScan US charts with four spots in the top 10 and seven in the top 100, led by Go Set a Watchman (Harper) which recorded the second best first-week sale for an adult hardback since BookScan US records began, shifting almost three quarter of a million units. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Product Hunt Wants To Be The New Oprah's Book Club

The popular product recommendation site is launching a new vertical for books.Product Hunt is expanding yet again. This time, the wildly popular product recommendation site is launching a new tab dedicated entirely to books. Product Hunt Books, which went live this morning, takes the site's... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Facebook video controls let you be sexist, ageist or secretive

Videos on Facebook are big business. As well as drugged up post-dentist footage, there is also huge advertising potential. Now Facebook has announced a new set of options for video publishers -- including the ability to limit who is able to see videos based on their age and gender. A social... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A TV Talk Show Appearance That Can Change an Author’s Future

Seth Meyers on Late Night, a US TV talk show, has embraced interviewing novelists and the result is often a boost in book sales following broadcast. The post A TV Talk Show Appearance That Can Change an Author’s Future appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman kill a mockingbird?

No one who reads To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time now can read it as we did before this week. No teacher, no student can ever ignore the complicated history of the book and its characters. Go Set a Watchman, published on Tuesday, changes everything. But is that as terrible as it sounds?... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Harper Lee, Pre-orders, and Book Product

Go Set a Watchman has become a major hit in a year that needed one and raises questions about American society and its publishing and reading culture. The post On Harper Lee, Pre-orders, and Book Product appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Richard E Grant hosts new Penguin Podcast

Penguin Random House is today (16th July) re-launching The Penguin Podcast with a series of programmes about the objects that inspire authors, hosted by actor Richard E Grant.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hilary wins Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year award

Debut author Sarah Hilary has scooped the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for Someone Else’s Skin (Headline). Hilary was presented with the award by title sponsor Simon Theakston and broadcaster Mark Lawson at the opening night of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printing error hits 'limited' Harper Lee stock

A "limited number" of copies of Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman (William Heinemann) have been found to contain a printing error, with Penguin Random House's printer Clays having to print replacement stock. Copies affected by the technical fault at Clays have two lines missing on each of six... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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