Sunday Telegraph book deal that compromised a murder trial

Sebastian Faulks gave his former Sunday Telegraph boss, John Thompson, a warm send-off in his tribute yesterday, "A nurturing force in the final days of Fleet Street".It reinforced the picture drawn of Thompson in the more formal Daily Telegraph obituary following Thompson's death, aged 93, on 24 November.Thompson, who edited the Sunday Telegraph for 10 years from 1976, was mild of manner and ran a kindly regime but had "an inner steel", wrote Faulks. This characteristic was necessary, as both Faulks and the obituary pointed out, because of the difficulties he faced in producing a paper in Fleet Street's final days of continual union disputes.Faulks pointed out that it was difficult to know Thompson well because "he was a diffident man who did not invite intimacy." It reminded me of a description of him by Henry Porter as "retiring to the point of joining a trappist order." But Faulks and the Telegraph's obituarist overlooked Thompson's most extraordinary, and disastrous, decision as an editor. In 1978, the Sunday Telegraph negotiated the serialisation of an autobiography by a former Liberal MP, Peter Bessell, who was a chief prosecution witness in the trial of Jeremy Thorpe, his party's leader. Thorpe was accused of conspiring to murder a male model, Norman Scott, who was said to have blackmailed him over their alleged gay relationship.Two months after Thorpe was charged, Thompson agreed a contract with Bessell which stated that he would receive £50,000 for extracts... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Grand Theft Auto V guide tops book charts

The Signature Series Strategy Guide to Grand Theft Auto V, the fastest-selling video game of all... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New French Book Festival Starts in Paris

The Festival des Ecrivains du Monde, a celebration of world literature, began in Paris Friday September 20, continued through the weekend and carried over for two days in Lyon where it ends today. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Earle joins David Fickling Books

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books Are My Bag shops 'see 18% uplift'

Bookshops involved in the Books Are My Bag campaign launch on Saturday 14th September saw an... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will the Digital Era Produce as Influential a Book Critic?

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reinventing Book Printing Toward a Hybrid Market

Even though the physical book market is more unpredictable than ever, “print is here to stay,” declares Stuart Applebaum, spokesman for Penguin Random House. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sir Alex Ferguson's book tour sets records

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adult E-book Sales Post Small Six-Month Increase

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Fonz's books inspire CBBC series

Former Happy Days actor Henry Winkler will star in a new CBBC comedy drama based on his Hank Zipzer children's books - inspired by his own experiences growing up with dyslexia. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nonfiction long-list announced for book awards

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[ Crains New York | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Book Award Roll-Out Part Three: Nonfiction

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The National Book Awards announces 2013 fiction longlist

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google patent filing describes tailored online book clubs, minus the wine

The phrase "virtual book club" may not conjure romantic visions of low-lit rooms and vintage wines, but you don't necessarily need those things to throw fancy words around. Amazon-owned Goodreads hosts user-created online clubs, but a Google patent application that's surfaced today imagines a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Exactly is a Book, Anyway? Harvard’s Leah Price Answers

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Crains New York | 2013-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Book Award Rolls Out Award Longlists This Week

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Longlist of National Book Award Poetry Finalists

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cameron supports Books Are My Bag

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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