Richard Desmond: ‘I hate to admit this, but I’ve never actually hit anyone’

He’s not a thug, he doesn’t trust his celebrity friends, and he’s definitely not a pornographer. Over a cigar delivered on a silver platter, the self-appointed king of Express Newspapers lays into scruffy booksellers and sets the record straightRichard Desmond held a party at Claridge’s in Mayfair this week to launch his autobiography. “Everybody” was there – “Jacob Rothschild came, Katie Price came, Barbara Windsor came. It was a whole cross-section of everybody. Lovely.” One person who was not there for long, though, was the man from Waterstones staffing the book stand.“I walk in, and I see this bloke, this scruffy bloke. He’s in like a real old sweater with holes in it, jeans with holes in.” Desmond’s nose wrinkles. “I said to him, ‘Look, mate, you’ve got lords and ladies coming here, and international celebrities, and my friends and family. I don’t really want to see you look like that. Have you got a suit?’ ‘No.’ ‘Would you go out and get a suit?’ ‘No.’ I said, ‘Well then, mate, fuck off.’ I got one of my advertising girls to sell the books instead.” He turns to his PR. “Was I harsh?” The PR demurs respectfully. “Oh no, it was about principle.” It all worked out for the best, Desmond agrees happily, because the man “learned a lesson”, will tell everyone, “Oh, this guy was so aggressive to me, he threatened to kill me,” and thus “another myth” about the media tycoon’s violent temper will be born. “Well, that’s the point.” Related: A reading from the Book of Desmond:... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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China crackdown on Apple store hits holy book apps, Audible

Amazon’s audiobook service Audible and phone apps for reading the holy books of Islam and Christianity have disappeared from the Apple store in mainland China Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2021-10-15 21:01:46 UTC ]
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Richard Osman, inspired by ‘The A-Team,’ has created a delightful band of elderly sleuths

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Richard Powers Resets Earth’s Trajectory

At Time, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Powers discusses his newest novel, Bewilderment, which is set during a period that resembles our own—but not quite. ” I was thinking a little bit along the lines of the form that science fiction writers like to call the ‘near-term future,'” Powers... Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2021-09-29 20:30:41 UTC ]
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Richard Charkin: Why I’m Attending Frankfurt Book Fair in Person

Richard Charkin says he misses not only those 'incessant meetings with old friends' but also that 'slightly permanent hangover.' He's headed back to Frankfurt. The post Richard Charkin: Why I’m Attending Frankfurt Book Fair in Person appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-09-28 12:19:11 UTC ]
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Fresh off a Pulitzer win for ‘The Overstory,’ Richard Powers delivers another environmental ode

“Bewilderment,” longlisted for a National Book Award, follows a widower desperate to help his neurodivergent son. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-09-21 15:24:56 UTC ]
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Richard Osman’s second book is one of the fastest-selling novels since records began

The Pointless presenter’s second crime novel, The Man Who Died Twice, has sold 114,202 copies in its first week on saleRichard Osman’s follow-up to The Thursday Murder Club, The Man Who Died Twice, has become one of the fastest-selling novels since records began.Published on 16 September, The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-09-21 14:37:39 UTC ]
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In Richard Powers’s New Novel, Hope for a Grieving Kid and Planet May Lurk in the Human Brain

The Pulitzer Prize winner’s latest book, “Bewilderment,” features a widowed father whose troubled son is transformed by a novel neurofeedback therapy with profound implications for the human race. Continue reading at The New York Times

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Richard Osman's The Man Who Died Twice makes a killing

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Hitting the Books: A look at the 1920s airship that nearly made it to the North Pole

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Richard Charkin: An Heretical View of Academic Publishing

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-09-16 13:08:14 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: What exactly did Jodi Foster hear in 'Contact'?

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[ Engadget | 2021-09-04 15:30:43 UTC ]
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Booksellers Hit the Books

A newly launched professional bookseller certification program aims to boost indie bookselling skills. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Chinese education changes could hit ELT divisions at UK publishers

China has announced a series of reforms for private education companies, which could impact English Language Teaching (ELT) divisions at UK publishers.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Hitting the Books: How Tesla engineers solved the problem of exploding EV batteries

Between CEO Elon Musk's often erratic antics, strident competition from existing industry titans, and a public that is still not fully sold on the idea of traveling via electrical charge, Tesla's road to prominence has not been a smooth one. But facing a federal investigation into its driver... Continue reading at Engadget

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Hitting the Books: How a radio telescope cost this West Virginia town its modernity

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Richard Charkin: Notes From a Small Publisher in London

Totting up the pros and cons of being an independent publisher, Richard Charkin assesses Mensch Publishing on its third anniversary. The post Richard Charkin: Notes From a Small Publisher in London appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-08-12 17:07:48 UTC ]
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Now that you’ve read ‘The Last Thing He Told Me,’ let’s talk about the ending

Laura Dave’s suspense novel is impossible to put down. But how satisfying is that conclusion? Continue reading at The Washington Post

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More Price Hikes Hitting the Print Industry

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Phaidon made further loss in 2020 as pandemic hit revenue

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OUP turnover falls as pandemic hits

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