‘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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Christmas picks lined up by independent bookshops

Indies hope to highlight 'books that are a bit quirky and a little bit different' and might be overlooked by chain retailersThe nation's independent bookshops have pooled their collective expertise to identify the best of this year's crop of Christmas books, in a bid to pick out the hidden... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Books Top the Overseas Charts

New titles commandeered the top slots across the bestseller lists in international markets in September. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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NSA surveillance puts George Orwell's '1984' on bestseller lists

Big Brother is watching. And people are reading.Big Brother is watching. And people are reading. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are Publishers in South Korea Gaming Their Bestseller Lists?

Allegations of stockpiling and best-seller list manipulation have rocked the publishing world in South Korea as publishers combat decreasing book sales. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Adult Is Hot, but Will It Play Abroad?

While interest in romance titles is showing no signs of slowing down—they continue to find their way into top spots on bestseller lists and command major advances from big-six editors—it’s the newish category new adult that is particularly hot right now. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Robyn Carr: Growing a Midlist Author

Robyn Carr might not be a household name, but she’s certainly a force to be reckoned with on the bestseller lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How to buy your way onto the bestseller list

First good reviews went on sale. Now a marketing firm is charging thousands to buy copies of books in order to artificially place them on bestseller lists. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble's Nook e-readers getting NFC, says CEO

Now that all of that Microsoft-related news is out in the open, Barnes & Noble's CEO William Lynch is ready to talk about the future. Fortune sat down with him to discuss the deal and what's next for the Nook. The answer to the latter is, at least in part, near-field communication. The exec... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adam Mansbach writes 'Seriously, Just Go to Sleep' for the kids

Adam Mansbach's 'Go the F— to Sleep' was fun for adults. 'Seriously, Just Go to Sleep' lets the kids in on the joke. And now he has projects to keep him awake.A year ago, Adam Mansbach was an award-winning novelist and aspiring screenwriter wrapping up a two-year teaching job at Rutgers... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Star Wars' novels: still on bestseller lists

The newest 'Star Wars' novel, 'Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse,' holds the No. 8 slot on the New York Times bestseller list. Success has become the norm for the books. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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