‘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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First-day sales for Harper Lee 'top 105k'

Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman (William Heinemann) racked up first-day sales in the UK of over 105,000 copies, across print and digital editions, according to publisher Penguin Random House. Meanwhile Waterstones' own sales for the title are approaching 30,000, m.d. James Daunt told The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ted Cruz wants to see his book on bestseller lists, denies bulk-buy allegations

Sen. Ted Cruz's memoir "A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Promise of America" has sold 12,000 copies, reports Time magazine, and is ranked at No. 16 on Amazon's list of bestselling books. Readers interested in the Texas Republican's autobiography can find it at most bookstores, but there's one... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Christian Bookseller Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award-Winner Reflects on Five Decades of Writing

Author Josh McDowell on childhood molestation, what he's learned in 55 years of writing, and winning the Christian Bookseller Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why write YA?

Ahead of YALC 2015, Gemma Malley, director of communications at Book Trust and author of seven YA novels, takes a look at why authors write YA. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Finally! Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman' hits bookstores around the globe

Harper Lee's hotly anticipated book, "Go Set a Watchman" hit bookstores Tuesday. From Los Angeles to New York to London to Mumbai, fans of Lee's beloved first book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," were snapping up copies. And many then took to social media to show off their purchases. (Because it... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Just hero Atticus Finch recast as racist in new Harper Lee novel

Harper Lee's just and gentle lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird is depicted as a bigot and racist in the author's upcoming new novel, which is being published this week 55 years after her portrait of racial injustice in the American South. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee's new book: Atticus Finch as a racist?

'Go Set a Watchman': "The question of Atticus's racism is one of the most important and critical elements in this novel..." wrote HarperCollins, the new book's publisher.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ready or not, readers get sneak peek at Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman'

Harper Lee's second novel isn't set for publication until July 14, but readers are getting a sneak preview of the first chapter Friday. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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VIDEO: Harper Lee's ambitions revealed

Harper Lee's second novel, which is being published on Tuesday and was written before To Kill A Mockingbird, makes Amazon bestseller list. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2015-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee 'planned more novels'

Author Harper Lee had plans to write a string of novels after To Kill A Mockingbird, according to a letter she wrote before the book was published. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee: Here's what happens in the beginning of her 'Go Set a Watchman'

Fans anticipating 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author Lee's upcoming book 'Watchman' got a sneak peek when the first chapter of the novel was posted online. The first chapter contains some interesting revelations. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First Chapter of Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman' Published, To Mixed Reaction

In the excerpt, an older Scout returns home from New York, and readers learn surprising news about her brother. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman finally reaches the public after 60 years

The Guardian is exclusively publishing the first chapter of Harper Lee’s hotly anticipated companion novel to To Kill a MockingbirdRead the first chapterListen to an extract read by Reese WitherspoonFollow all the live commentary and reactionJean Louise Finch – beloved heroine of one of the most... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Readers rush for new Harper Lee book

Amazon says Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman is the most pre-ordered title since the final Harry Potter book as the first chapter is published online. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Read The First Chapter Of Harper Lee's Highly Anticipated "Go Set A Watchman"

Scout is all grown up—and Jem is, well, you'll see... Go Set A Watchman Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee's long-awaited prequel to her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, hits shelves July 14. But if that still seems like too long to wait, both The Wall Street Journal and The... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Deadpool’s Great, But Guess Who Rob Liefeld Thinks Is Up Next For a Movie?

The comic book vet created dozens of characters, but he's pretty sure one of them is destined for the big-screen treatment. The post Deadpool’s Great, But Guess Who Rob Liefeld Thinks Is Up Next For a Movie? appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Campaign for Harper Lee revealed

Harper Lee’s highly-anticipated forthcoming novel Go Set a Watchman (William Heinemann) will be BBC Radio 4’s "Book at Bedtime" and the Guardian Bookshop’s inaugural Bookshop Book of the Month. The marketing and publicity campaign for the book, which is released on Tuesday 14th July, features... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cote denies class certification in Authors Solutions case

A lawsuit accusing Author Solutions of seeking to make money from authors, rather than for authors, has been denied class certification by a judge in the US. New York-based law firm Giskan Solotaroff Anderson & Stewart filed a class action lawsuit against Author Solutions in New York in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ICM, Helen Brann Form Succession Plan

ICM Partners announced that it has entered into a succession plan with the Helen Brann Agency, a literary agency owned and founded by Helen Brann, Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guardian to pre-publish first Lee chapter

The Guardian is to publish the first chapter of Harper Lee’s forthcoming novel Go Set a Watchman (William Heinemann) ahead of publication, as part of the publicity campaign building up to the novel’s release next week. Go Set a Watchman will be released on Tuesday 14th July. The Guardian will... Continue reading at The Bookseller

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