Compass Points 55

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Wow – I woke up this morning to find Power Trip by Damian McBride published by Biteback all over the radio, TV and newspapers like a rash! The serialisation of this book starts in the Daily Mail TODAY and the media are going totally bonkers for it! The headlines all talk of “poison at the heart of Labour… this book reveals how Brown's spin doctor ran smear campaigns from 10 Downing Street, destroyed two ministers' careers and 'hacked' into secret Cabinet files… a very brazen assassin… few knew Brown had an equally amoral spin doctor… his sensational memoirs reveal the dark heart of politics… drug use; spousal abuse; secret alcoholism; extra-marital affairs… this book will hugely embarrass Ed Miliband and Ed Balls…“  and there’s plenty more to come! You can read the whole thing here on the Daily Mail Online . This is absolutely sensational stuff – and perfectly timed of course for the start of the Labour Party Conference. I don’t think there is going to be anyone in Britain who is unaware of this book today – and gazillions will want to read more – so make sure you have it on display!

Order Power Trip here

Now, let’s move on from one story of deceit and secrecy to another – in the US this time. The Godfather’s Daughter by Rita Gigante and Natasha Stoynoff is a remarkable story of deception, violence and ultimately acceptance and growth set among the New York mafia. On the surface, Rita Gigante's family looked like all the other Italian Catholics in her suburban New Jersey neighbourhood. But behind closed doors, they had a secret - her father was the notorious crime boss Vincent 'the Chin' Gigante, head of all five New York crime families. In The Godfather's Daughter, Rita Gigante takes us on her emotional and spiritual journey growing up on the tumultuous fringes of the underworld. Her struggles with deception and honesty, violence and love, and sickness and healing finally lead Rita up to a world of light – and a life where she can finally accept and bravely live her own truth. This book and its author had a major feature headlined My Father:  New York’s Most Feared Mafia Boss with lots of photos in last weeks Stella Magazine (Sunday Telegraph) on 15th September – this has around half a million readers – so should have created plenty of interest for this title, from Hay House.

Read the article from the Sunday Telegraph here This book has just been published (trade paperback £10.00) by Summersdale and you can order The Godfather's Daughter here

OK, OK  –  you’re quite right, we really can’t mention  The Godfather without having a little watch of the original – so here’s one of my favourite (although rather violent) moments below.

But maybe you prefer your movie stars to be rather more subtle – and possibly British? Well in that case, this next title will be right up your street! Gielgoodies! The Wit and Wisdom of John Gielgud by Jonathan Croall is published in paperback this month by Oberon Books. This book had rave reviews when it came out in hardback, and the paperback is the ideal gift – perfect for anyone who likes a laugh. This delicious feast of “Gielgoodies”, compiled by Gielgud’s biographer reveals a less well‐known side to this celebrated actor: his lightning wit, his love of scandal and gossip, his wicked delight in putting down his fellow‐artists and his relish of bawdy humour. Full of startling new material, drawn from many unpublished letters and Jonathan Croall’s extensive interviews, the book also celebrates the man who dropped a thousand bricks. John Gielgud’s excruciating gaffes were legendary, and here are both the famous and the unknown, collected in all their glory. Whether committed backstage, in the wings or in rehearsals, on film sets or in television studios, they bring this merry and much‐loved man vividly to life. “Gielgud was indiscreet even by the exacting standards of the acting profession… I could hear Sir John’s voice as I read” said the Sunday Times, while Richard Briers called it “a marvellous book, full of wonderful things. So funny – and so outrageous.”  It was shortlisted by the Sunday Times as one of its Best Humour Books of 2012, and features a foreword by Simon Callow. As Dame Eileen Atkins said, it is “such fun to dip into…. it will make wonderful theatrical stocking filler for Christmas.”

Order Gielgoodies here

And here’s a rather irreverent reminder from Spitting Image of exactly why John Gielgud was such a national treasure!

From one of Britain’s best – to some of Britain’s worst. Britain’s Worst Walks: Travels Around the UK’s Gloriously Grim Backwaters by Ben Hinds will appeal to fans of Molvania and the Crap Towns series and is a tongue-in-cheek celebration of Britain, appealing to cynics and patriots alike. From Southend to Skegness via slums, sewage works and sandless beaches, this unique walking guide takes a look at some of the most overlooked routes in the UK. They may not be popular, they may not be pretty, but they’re all part of the great British landscape – whether we like it or not. These sorts of wry humorous “this made Britain what it is today” titles are definitely having a bit of a moment at present – knocking things down that we’re actually very proud of is a uniquely British characteristic, and this book is clearly written by someone who honestly loves all of Britain, even the scruffy bits.  It features maps and full-colour photographs of the walking routes.

Order Britain's Worst Walks here

Don’t forget that the Radio Times Guide to Films 2014 is out now. This guide is very definitely the leading movie money maker for the book trade, selling over 11,000 copies last year. There will be a significant PR campaign for this giant £25 paperback, fronted by Radio Times film editor Andrew Collins and Barry Norman featuring TV, radio, national and regional press with weekly promotional features and coverage in Radio Times (readership of 2.3 million) right up to Christmas. The Radio Times Guide to Films features in-depth listings for over 23,000 film reviews and has 500 new entries from the latest cinema releases so it’s bang up to date. You get a review of each movie entry from the in-house team of film experts, plus the Radio Times’ five star rating and cast, character, writer and director credits, plus family viewing advice and BBFC classification, as well as DVD and Blu-ray availability for all titles. There’s an awards section covering Oscar and Bafta nominees and winners in key categories. Plus, winners for the Golden Globe awards, Cannes and Berlin film festivals. Clint Eastwood may be on the cover of the Radio Times Guide to Films 2014, but let’s think; who would get the Compass Points Oscar for best male film actor of all time? Well I've always been very partial to James Stewart myself – no no Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, (back to the Godfather again) or even Charlie Chaplin I hear you cry. But hang on a minute – isn't there someone we’re all forgetting? 

Hope you enjoyed some of the most memorable (short) lines spoken by one of Hollywood’s finest!

And you can order the 2014 Guide to Films here

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 54

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

We start with a bit of a publicity round up – and this week it seems to be all about four titles from Biteback. Three of them are to be serialized in the Daily Mail and as this is a newspaper with a massive circulation this is absolutely brilliant publicity for the books! Pets by Royal Appointment (previously called Reigning Cats and Dogs – change of title!)  was serialized in the Mail on 12th September; and also yesterday they serialized Saving Gary McKinnon: A Mother’s Story by Janis Sharp. Janis was on BBC Breakfast talking about the book – and you can watch that interview here. 
Power Trip by Damian McBride will be serialized in a national newspaper from the 21st to 26th September which will coincide with the Labour Party Conference. This is the biggest serial Biteback have ever had. Newsnight are making a short film about the book to be shown on the night of Monday 23^rd September and there is loads of press lined up for Damian beginning 24th September. This is a huge book!

Order Power Trip here

Order Saving Gary McKinnon here

Order Pets by Royal Appointment here

And lastly from Biteback, Shirley Williams: The Biography by Mark Peel will be serialised in the Daily Mail on 17th September. This is a major £20 hardback biography of one of Britain’s most well-known and best-loved politicians, admired for her warmth, sincerity, compassion and integrity. It is sure to be a big seller this autumn, as she has many many fans, and this is the perfect Christmas present for them! The book exposes the roots of an extraordinary vulnerability at the heart of this remarkable politician. It was one of the paradoxes of a person who revered her parents but felt uncomfortable living in their shadow; a firm supporter of the sanctity of marriage who craved unfettered independence from her partner; a middle class liberal who appealed to the tabloids; a rebel on the surface, a conformist at heart; an egalitarian who preferred the statelier ambience of the House of Lords to the tribal partisanship of the Commons; a brilliant communicator in public, a less assured one in private; above all, a Labour loyalist who jumped ship. With full access to Baroness Williams’ papers, and those of her parents, this biography reveals new information about the pressure of living up to her parents’ high expectations of her; her equivocation between political ambition and family responsibilities, and her willingness to put individual principle before collective responsibility. This is a compelling portrait of one of the most complex and popular of modern politicians.

Order Shirley WIlliams: The Biography here

On Monday 23rd September at 10pm Channel 4 will broadcast a documentary film Sex: My British Job – a chilling exposé of the British sex trade. Investigative journalist Hsiao-Hung Pai specialises in undercover work on the lives of immigrant workers and in Sex: My British Job she once more works with director Nick Broomfield, whom she first collaborated with in 2007 for Ghosts, about the fate of undocumented Chinese workers in the UK and the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay in February 2004.In this new film, Hsiao works undercover as a housekeeper in a brothel and unveils the terrible reality of the sex trade in Britain today. Hsiao embarks on a prolonged period of secret filming to expose not just why illegal workers turn to sex work, but how they are drawn into it by a complex combination of pressure from the brothel owners, the lure of high-earnings and the guilt they are made to feel about not providing for their families back home. Many also have to pay-off large debts; loans that enabled them to travel to the UK in the first place. In an incredibly personal account, Hsiao works in brothels across the capital. Taken on a as a housekeeper – there to answer the phone and manage the brothel – she is soon asked to do sex work. Despite protesting she is too old, too inexperienced and it’s not what she there to do, Hsiao experiences first-hand the trap that illegal immigrant workers face every day. Verbally abused and psychologically pressurised, this eye-opening exposé shows how easily Chinese and immigrant women can be drawn into sex work and highlights the shocking reality of what is happening behind closed doors up-and-down the country. This film is certain to attract a lot of media attention and Hsiao’s experiences while filming Sex: My British Job is also the subject of her book, Invisible: Britain's Migrant Sex Workers, published by the Westbourne Press which you can order here.

In a world dominated by shallow celebrity, many remarkable people often remain unknown and unrecognised. Author Donough O’Brien has hit on a splendid idea: listing and describing scores and scores of extraordinary people who played an important but hidden task in the story of our times, but whom we probably never heard of in the first place. Who? The Most Remarkable People You’ve Never Heard Of brings the unrecognised to recognition with over 200 names that should trip off the tongue, but don’t. Readers may wonder who was President Kennedy’s first dangerous lover? Who made rock music possible? Who was Simon Cowell’s mentor? Who stopped Catholic priests marrying? Who invented the ‘hole in the wall’ ATM? Who inspired the Red Cross? Who built the first bra? Which doctors finished off Elvis and Michael Jackson? Who first broke the sound barrier? Whose blood cells are ’immortal’? Well this book will tell them – and much more besides! With a foreword by Frederick Forsyth, this is a £12.99 paperback published by Bene Factum in October.  There is lots of good publicity lined up for it; Radio 5 Live is interviewing Donough O’Brien at the end of September; he’ll be a guest on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends in October; there will be features in Country Life, The Lady and Saga Magazine plus lots of regional press and radio too – Donough is travelling all over the UK and is pretty sure to be coming soon to a radio station or newspaper near you! Who? is the book for the often unsung hero, the men and women neglected by history and rediscovered in this quirky collection. And, after all, who of us doesn’t love an underdog?

Order Who? and find out more here

Compass Points loves a bit of poetry, and we’re very pleased to represent Carcanet Press, one of the outstanding independent literary publishers of our time. Now in its fifth decade, Carcanet publishes the most comprehensive and diverse list available of modern and classic poetry in English and in translation, as well as a range of inventive fiction, letters and literary criticism. The Bookseller featured a double page spread article on the state of the poetry market on 23rd August which included substantial quotes from its Carcanet MD Michael Schmidt and was great publicity for Carcanet:  “Manchester-based poetry publisher Carcanet Press has published more first collections over the last two years than we’ve ever done before.... it’s great that we now have a large range of new poets coming to the board.” Lots of  Carcanet titles and authors have been getting some press attention recently – you may well have noticed a lot of publicity for Sophie Hannah who was featured on the Today programme and BBC Breakfast TV discussing the announcement that she is the ‘new Agatha Christie’. She has been asked by the family to write the next Poirot novel – and while her name is in the public eye it’s a good opportunity to remind the public of what a popular and best-selling poet she is. The Poetry Review declared of her first book “Shall I put it in capitals? SOPHIE HANNAH IS A GENIUS.” You can find all of her titles on the Carcanet website. Sinead Morrissey’s Parallax (9781847772046) received a glowing review in the Guardian who said “Parallax is something of a treasure trove” and her poem Migraine was also poem of the week in The Scotsman magazine. Richard Price has been awarded the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Award for Small World (9781847771582). This is a major prize and, as winner of the Poetry category, he’s a contender for winning the overall prize of £30,000, which will be announced on Saturday 2nd October. Jorie Graham’s The Taken Down God (9781847771940) was reviewed in the Times Literary Supplement and Frederic Raphael’s latest memoir There and Then (9781847771407) was reviewed in the Spectator who said “This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Diaries promise indiscretions and the joy of gossip”. Sujata Bhatt’s poem ‘Lodz’ was Carol Rumens’ Poem of the Week at the Guardian online and BBC3 broadcasted a Tsvetaeva's ‘Poem of the End’ as an interval talk for Prom 71 on Wednesday September 4th read by Imogen Stubbs. The poem is included in Elaine Feinstein’s translation of Tsvetaeva Bride of Ice (9781847770608). A review of Hitting the Streets by Raymond Queneau 9781847771575 was featured online at Stride magazine: “One I shall treasure and return to” and finally Benjamin Britten’s poetry was discussed in the Guardian recently which is a great chance to promote Benjamin Britten’s Poets (9781857542400) which is new from Carcanet in hardback in November.

Order Benjamin Britten's poets here

Have a look at some more forthcoming poetry titles here and you can catch up on all the latest from Carcanet on their website www.carcanet.co.uk

Sometime a really brilliant film can totally transform the sales of a book – and I’ve a feeling that might just be the case with Twelve Years a Slave, the harrowing true story of Solomon Northup who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, enduring unimaginable degradation and abuse until his rescue twelve years later. A powerful and riveting condemnation of American slavery this autobiography was written in 1853, and has now been made into a major Hollywood film directed by Steve McQueen. The film has just premiered at the Toronto Film Festival which tends to be a bellwether of Oscar glory – and believe you me; Oscars are definitely being predicted for this film. You can read a full review of the film in The Telegraph here – they describe it as the most shatteringly powerful treatment of slavery you’ll ever see depicted. And most encouragingly they actually credit the book Twelve Years a Slave from which this film is adapted – it’s an £8.99 B-format paperback published by Hesperus and is available now. This film is going to be absolutely colossal – it stars Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor and you can watch a trailer above on YouTube to see what all the fuss is about! It opens in the US in October – and comes to the UK in January. Twelve Years a Slave pulls no punches, honestly and brutally addressing an important but distressing period of nineteenth century history and is a unique first-hand account detailing the realities of slave life. Tricked by two men offering him a job as a musician in New York State in 1841, Solomon Northup was drugged and kidnapped. His life in jeopardy, he was forced to assume a new name and fake past. Taken to Louisiana on a disease-ridden plague ship, he was initially sold to a cotton planter. In the twelve years that follow he is sold to many different owners who treat him with varying levels of savagery; forced labour, scant food and numerous beatings are his regular fare.  Against all odds, Northup eventually succeeds in contacting a sympathetic party and manages to get word to his family. The ensuing rescue and legal cases are no less shocking and intriguing than the rest of the tale.

You can order Twelve Years a Slave here

In the year 2000, Roz Savage seemed to have it all. But she felt there was a mismatch between the person she was pretending to be on the outside, and the person she wanted to be on the inside. Leaving behind her life as a London professional, she set out to row across the world's oceans. Her goal was to raise awareness of the heavy toll that human beings are taking on the Earth - and how it will rebound on us if we don't change course. Stop Drifting, Start Rowing: One Woman's Search for Happiness and Meaning Alone on the Pacific tells the story of Roz's record-setting solo row across the Pacific Ocean. In the course of her three-stage voyage, Roz braved 20-foot waves, was capsized 3 times in 24 hours, faced death by dehydration, encountered whales, dolphins, sharks and turtles, and witnessed the breathtaking beauty of nature. The ocean forced her to develop courage, tenacity, perseverance, and the strength to transcend self-imposed limits. Not only is her story an amazing adventure tale, but it is a timely message of hope and optimism for the future, emphasizing the power of individual action to make a difference. Roz Savage is a United Nations Climate Hero, and an Athlete Ambassador for 350.org. She has been listed amongst the Top 20 Great British Adventurers by the Daily Telegraph and in 2010 she was named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic. Roz Savage is writing a feature piece for You magazine in the Mail on Sunday (circ. 4 million). It will run on 13th October with a reader offer on the book. The author will also feature in a future issue of Woman’s Own magazine (circ. 222,571) and have a feature in Zest magazine (circ. 65,000). WI Life magazine will profile Roz (circ. 211,830) and she will be featured in a future issue of Cheshire Life magazine (circ. 15,024). Healthista.com is featuring an interview and video of Roz in October. The author is also being interviewed for Rowing & Regatta magazine (Circ. 30,000) in their September issue. Stop Drifting, Start Rowing is published by Hay House in October.

Order Stop Drifting Start Rowing here

Now – how many of us can remember a really cracking book we enjoyed as a child – but which for some inexplicable reason now no longer seems to be in print? I know I can think of several – some of my favourites are by E Nesbit; author of The Railway Children and Five Children and It; who also wrote many other terrific kids reads. Well I’m pleased to say that a new imprint of Hesperus Press is to launch a children's imprint, Hesperus Minor, which will publish a select list of these forgotten children's classics – and one of their launch titles is in fact by E Nesbitt – hurrah! The plan is for "nostalgic books of which adults will have fond memories and want to share with their children and loved ones", and the three inaugural titles, each carrying a foreword by a contemporary author, offer a sense of what to expect: The Coral Island by R M Ballantyne, with a foreword by John Boyne; The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E Nesbit, with a foreword by Julia Donaldson; and The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, with a foreword by Joseph Delaney. 

To launch this new imprint, the marketing folk at Hesperus Minor have devised a competition to find the next out of print children's classic for publication in 2014. So if you or your customers are itching to see something you love back in print again – now’s the moment to do something about it! Entrants are asked to write no more than 500 words explaining why they love their chosen book and why it deserves to be republished. The deadline for submission is 27 September and the winning entrant will be announced on 25 October, when the first titles are published, and will see their 500-word submission printed in the republished classic in February 2014.This competition, is  being supported by a nationwide marketing and publicity campaign with guest judges to choose the winner. The panel comprises Annie Dalton (author of the Angel Academy and Tilly Beany books); Amanda Craig (author and Times children's books critic); Jennifer Bell (Foyles children's books buyer); and Melissa Cox (Waterstones children's bookseller). 

You can find out more about it on the Hesperus Press blog page here. And in the meantime, make sure you have ordered the three first Hesperus Minor titles – they have beautiful covers, and are real gems. My 10 year old son has just devoured The Coral Island – a swashbuckling adventure story awash with pirates, castaways, sharks and cannibals and despite it being written well over 100 years ago, thoroughly enjoyed it ! The paperbacks are £7.99 and published in October.

Order The Coral Island here

Order the Story of the Treasure Seekers here

Order The Princess and the Goblin here

If however you prefer your children’s stories to be a little bit more up to date, then you’ll probably enjoy this clever parody of some Disney Classics  on YouTube below!

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 53

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

Good afternoon!  Just to get you in the mood for our first book today, have a look at this epic battle scene from The Last of the Mohicans above.  Gripping and bloodthirsty stuff – very like our first book Red Cloud: The Untold Story of an American Legend by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin which is published by Robson Press in November. It tells the true tale of the only Native American Warrior Chief to ever defeat the US army in open warfare (Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Geronimo – none of them managed it!) It’s an epic, rip-roaring and, frankly, ferociously bloody tale from the last days of the Plains Indians of the Old West, and the birth of the American nation. This is the story of Red Cloud, the great Sioux chief who witnessed the opening of the West, and the only Plains Indian to defeat the United States Army in a war. At the peak of their chief’s powers, the Sioux could claim control of one-fifth of the United States. But unlike Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, or Geronimo, the fog of history has left Red Cloud strangely obscured. Now, thanks to painstaking research by two award-winning authors, his incredible story can finally be told. Born in 1821 Red Cloud grew up an orphan who overcame myriad social disadvantages to advance in Sioux culture. Through fearless raids against neighbouring tribes, like the Crow and Pawnee, he acquired a reputation as the best leader of his fellow warriors, catapulting him into the Sioux elite - and preparing him for the epic struggle his nation would face with an expanding United States, leading to a conflict whose massacres presaged the Little Bighorn and ensured Red Cloud’s place in the pantheon of Native American legends. A story as big as the West, Red Cloud is a gripping story from the Old West and the birth of America. Charles Frazier, author of Cold Mountain described it as “An absorbing and evocative examination of the endgame in the three-hundred-year war between Native Americans and settlers of European descent.” And S.C. Gwynne, author of Empire of the Summer Moon said “The word ‘epic’ is overused these days. Not here. This is big, blazing history, writ large on the High Plains.” As you may be aware,Western books have been quietly doing the business lately: Empire of the Summer Moon sold 12,800 copies, The Last Stand by Nathanial Philbrick sold 8,000 copies) and The Last Gunfight by Jeff Guinn sold 9,000 in hardback and paperback. This book is in the bestselling tradition of Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee which has had an astonishing 92,000 UK sales to date and features a cast of legends of the Old West, including Sherman, Custer, Crazy Horse, Jim Bridger, John Bozeman etc. This is the ultimate “Dad” book for Christmas! If anyone would like to read the first chapter we can forward it to you online – just email pat@compass-dsa.co.uk with Red Cloud in the subject box!

Order Red Cloud and find out more here

Interest is building for The Best Book in the World by Peter Stjernström, published by Hesperus in a couple of weeks’ time. This is a wonderfully quirky and hilarious novel in a similar vein to The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. It’s a perfect read as the nights draw in and great Christmas gift for anyone with a wicked sense of humour. The author will be in the UK early October to promote the book. It begins with author Titus Jensen who is waiting for his big break. But he’s middle-aged, has rather a fondness for alcohol and no one seems to take him seriously enough. He makes ends meet by giving public readings from obscure books at festivals across Sweden which is okay, but he can’t help thinking there has to be more to life for an author of his quality. Eddie X on the other hand is cool, hip, a hit with the ladies and loves being the centre of attention. A radical poet and regular on the festival circuit, he too can’t help thinking there has to be more to life for a talented, good-looking man like himself… One night, the unlikely pair get horribly drunk together and hatch a plan. There’s only one thing for a budding writer to do to get worldwide recognition: write the best book in the world – a book so amazing that it will end up on all the bestseller lists in every category imaginable: thriller, self-help, cookery, business, dieting… a book that combines everything in one! But there is only room for one such amazing book and as the alcohol-induced haze clears Titus and Eddie X both realise they are not willing to share the limelight. Who will win the race to write The Best Book in the World, and to what unimaginable lengths will they go to get there first…? Hilariously quirky but surprisingly touching, The Best Book in the World will take you on a meandering race to the finish line, throwing plenty of satirical punches along the way!

You can order The Best Book in the World here!

By anyone’s standards, Rula Lenska has led an extraordinary life. Born to Polish aristocrats, refugees from the Nazis and then the Soviets, her father was heavily involved with the Polish government in exile. Renowned as a vivacious flame-haired beauty, she found fame in the 1970s as ‘Q’ in the TV series Rock Follies before accidently conquering America with an Alberto VO5 hair products commercial, famously prompting Johnny Carson to ask on his show, ‘Who the hell is Rula Lenska?’ Her career has been a rollercoaster ride through classic British television series such as Minder, To the Manor Born, The Detectives, Doctor Who, Casualty, Space:1999 and, of course, Coronation Street, as well as on stage with The Vagina Monologues and Calendar Girls. However, her success has often been tempered with heartache. Despite the fanfare surrounding her celebrity marriage to Dennis Waterman, the relationship would eventually turn sour with recriminations and accusations of alcoholism and spousal abuse. Then there was her surreal appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, which she calls sixteen days of madness, during which she suffered the likes of Pete Burns and Michael Barrymore, before emerging to find pictures of George Galloway with his head in her crotch being broadcast all over the world. Now older and wiser and elevated to the status of national treasure, Rula Lenska has got a fascinating story to tell. Rula: My Autobiography by Rula Lenska is the autobiography of Britain’s best-known redhead and a fascinating journey through a life well lived. She discloses what really went on in her eleven-year marriage to Dennis Waterman and reveals the truth behind Celebrity Big Brother. Rula is a great self publicist and will be promoting her book very widely in a major press campaign – starting now – it’s published in the next couple of weeks by Robson Press.

Order Rula here

And, it has to be shown again I feel  – here’s that infamous clip – plus various comments, including some from Rula herself!

 Hay House have been getting some great publicity for their title E Squared by Pam Grout which is also published this month. It was reviewed by The Sun (circ. 2.2 million) on 16th August. E Squared was originally submitted to Hay House in the US where it sat on the slush pile before finally being picked up by editor Alex Freemon and was first published in the US in January 2013. After becoming a mega word-of-mouth hit E Squared now been in the New York Times bestseller list for four consecutive weeks, seven months after publication. It will be published here in the UK as a paperback priced at £10.99 and will be backed by a large marketing campaign. This is a really extraordinary self-help book which asks readers to follow ten experiments which seek to prove that our thoughts create reality. Yes, you read that right. It says prove. The experiments, each of which can be conducted with absolutely no money and very little time expenditure, demonstrate that spiritual principles are as dependable as gravity, as consistent as Newton's 2nd law of motion. This sounds like a fairly unreliable and frankly unbelievable claim; but this book has achieved astounding word of mouth success, based on readers’ incredible results from the experiments within the book. Reading group guides, video blogs and many articles in major media are expected in support of E Squared and many are referring to it as the new The Secret. If at this point you are thinking “what the hell are you talking about??” then why not look at this clip below to see one US fan demonstrating an experiment from the book. And you can order E Squared and find out more about it here.

Now, who would have thought that the humble children’s picture book could be controversial? Well, in this week’s American books spot, here’s a list from Ingram of banned and challenged picture books. Pretty interesting I think. Remember you can order any of these US titles by opening an account with Ingram – or using your existing account if you already have one. It’s very easy to open one, just click here – it’s extremely straightforward. Or you can go to www.ingramcontent.com and click on the button that says GET STARTED, or you can talk to your Compass Account Manager. Ingram will run some credit checks and within 3-4 days your account should be up and running.

Cast your mind back to last November. Were you suddenly aware of many more hairy faced gentlemen visiting your bookshop? Or maybe your own staff suddenly started sporting bristly appendages? During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of millions of moustaches around the world. With their “Mo’s” men raise vital funds and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer and mental health. As an independent global charity, Movember’s vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. You can find out all about Movember in the UK here. An essential title for any bookshop to have on display during this month will be The Little Book of Moustaches by Rufus Cavendish. This impeccably turned-out little guide to the world’s most famous upper-lip embellishments will teach you how to groom, craft, style and quote your way to Moustache Greatness. It’s a £4.99 hardback with colour illustrations published by Summersdale and is a really fun and stylish guide! So dust off your Dali and shake out your Selleck, the ’tache is back!

Order The Little Book of Moustaches here

And if you’re looking for some inspiration in the facial hair department – have a look at this Magic Beard video on YouTube!

 That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 52

Your weekly round up of publishing news, publicity information and trivia!

  

STOP PRESS! We’ve just heard that the brand new BBC series dramatisation of The Wipers Times by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman will be broadcasting on 11 September – that’s in 11 days time! The Wipers Times stars include Ben Chaplin, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Emilia Fox and Michael Palin and “just like the original Wipers Times, this new history drama will be filled with jokes, spoofs and amazing examples of courage behind the laughs.” says Janice Hadlow, Controller of BBC2. The Wiper’s Times: The Complete Series of the Famous Wartime Trench Newspaper with a foreword by Ian Hislop is a large (400 page) paperback reproduction of the trench newspaper which provided a satirical and subversive look at the First World War. Its publication date is 10 September and it’s a £16.99 paperback published by Little Books. (978 1 906251 17 8) This BBC series is going to get loads of coverage, and if this book is out and on display in your shops, then it will sell – do not let Amazon get all the sales the day after its broadcast when everyone who has enjoyed the BBC2 drama goes out to look for the real thing! This book is a complete facsimile of the entire series of this famous wartime trench newspaper, which was hugely influential in the development of satirical magazines produced ever since. It started in February 1916; when Captain F. J. Roberts of the 12th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters produced the first edition. Often produced in hazardous conditions, at one point only 700 yards from the front line, it acted as the voice of the average British soldier, relaying his experiences, grief and anger during the entire conflict. At times irreverent, at times hysterical, its humour and satire provide an excellent insight into life in the trenches in the First World War. Taking its name from the army slang for Ypres, where it was first produced, The Wipers Times was similar to Punch, but contained a more specific type of comedy relating exclusively to the soldiers on the Western Front. The satire and humour of the paper helped reinvent the situation in the trenches – diffusing the conditions of war by ridiculing and exaggerating them. The paper’s style was influenced by the difficulties of production. Articles had to be written in the limited free time the soldiers had; in dugouts, reserve lines or on rest. Apart from poetry and humorous articles, The Wipers Times also featured several comical advertisements and music hall parodies including a mock theatre or cinema programme from the Ypres Cloth Hall, long since destroyed by shellfire. The paper ran until December 1918.

Order Order The Wipers Times here

Next up this afternoon: Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan; published by Westbourne Press. This book is published in the UK in September, and is already attracting a great deal of attention. It is currently a massive US bestseller selling over 100,000 copies in its first month of publication, and it is on the top five on the New York Times bestseller list at present.  Sifting through centuries of myth-making, Reza Aslan has shed new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived: the age of zealotry, an era awash in apocalyptic fervour, when scores of Jewish prophets and would-be messiahs wandered the Holy Land bearing messages from God. They also espoused a fervent nationalism that made resistance to Roman occupation a sacred duty. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, Aslan describes a complex figure: a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity secret; and whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his lifetime. Aslan explores why the early Church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary, and grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself. Zealot provides a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told and the result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel. You can read a big feature all about it in the Sunday Telegraph here. This book would be enjoyed by both believers and sceptics – it is going to be very much talked about, and reviewed – right though to Christmas when it would make an ideal gift. It’s a handsome £17.99 hardback – a real “bookshop” book – so let’s make it a bestseller over here too!

Order Zealot here

Now who said “As far as I’m concerned I’m just a normal bloke who happens to be very fast in a wheelchair and who will do anything, absolutely anything to pull on that Great Britain vest and represent his country.” It was of course David Weir, and Weirwolf: My Story is set to be one of the sports autobiographies of the autumn. Published in October by Biteback, it is the extraordinary story of the British Paralympics wheelchair athlete who won a total of six gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games and was six times winner of the London Marathon.

David Weir was born without the use of his legs, and not only learned from an early age to cope with his disability, but defied his limitations to become a national sporting hero. Here he sheds light on his experiences and how attitudes towards disability in Britain have changed. This is an inspiring story of triumph over adversity by the man whom the Daily Mail called “One of Britain’s greatest ever athletes” and Usain Bolt descrobed as“Simply inspiring.” At the London 2012 Summer Paralympics, Weir won four gold medals for Great Britain, and currently holds the national record for track distances up to 5,000 m and road distances of 10 km, a half-marathon and full marathon. In 2009 Weir was awarded an MBE for his outstanding contribution to British sport, and he was later awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours 2013. Publication will be supported by a major three-part serialisation in the Mail on Sunday; interviews in The Sun, The Times, and FHM; appearances on BBC Breakfast, This Morning, The Paul O’Grady Show, Sky Sports News, Radio 5Live, TalkSport and BBC GNS Radio. This is an illustrated £18.99 hardback published in October, and it’s going to be HUGE!

Order Weirwolf here

And if you’d like to relive that magic moment when David Weir won the 15,000 metres final in the 2012 Paralympics, you can watch it below!

Staying with the sporting theme, we’ve just heard that Bradman’s War by Malcolm Knox has been nominated for The Cricket Society and MCC Book of the Year Award 2014 and accepted for the long list.  The overall winner will not be announced in the Long Room at Lord's until 14 April 2014, but this is a very prestigious long list to be on. Of course with the thrilling Ashes action we have seen this summer, the recent publication of this hardback from Robson Press couldn’t be timelier – and it should sell right up until Christmas, when it will be ideal present choice for all cricket fans! The book tells the extraordinary story of the 1948 ‘Invincibles’ - the only Australians to complete a tour of England undefeated. When the Australian and English Test cricketers who fought and survived together in World War II came home they planned to resume the Ashes in a new spirit of friendship. However, Australia’s legendary captain had something else in mind. Hailed as one of the greatest cricket teams of all time, their crushing victories under Donald Bradman’s captaincy wrote them into the record books. But often forgotten are the mixed feelings about the manner in which these feats were achieved. In his absorbing account of the legendary tour, Malcolm Knox exposes the rift between players who had experienced the horrors of active duty, epitomised by the fiery but sporting RAAF pilot Keith Miller, and those who had not, such as the invalided Bradman. Knox reveals the discomfort among the fans, commentators and players – from both teams – at Bradman’s single-minded tactics, on and off the field. Bradman’s ruthlessness, even against the war-ravaged veterans of the county clubs, scotched hopes that after the terrible realities of the war, the game might resume in a more friendly spirit than the angry competitiveness of Bodyline. Bradman’s War considers what value we place on entertainment and good-natured rivalry in competitive sport.

Order Bradman's War here

And if you’d like to see a bit of the great Don Bradman in action, then you could watch this 15 min film on YouTube.

 Now talking of superheroes leads me to the world of comics and graphic novels – something our friends across the pond do tend to lead the way in I think. If superheroes and super graphics are something that your shop tends to sell lots of, then why not have a browse through the autumn Ingram Graphic Novels and Comics range catalogue here. Remember, you need an account with Ingram to be able to order these US titles, but it is easy to open one, just click here – it’s very straightforward. Or you can go to www.ingramcontent.com and click on the button that says GET STARTED, or you can talk to your Compass Account Manager. Ingram will run some credit checks and within 3-4 days your account should be up and running – and you can get your hands on all of those thrilling comic and graphic novels!

There is lots and lots of publicity for our current titles at the moment! Firstly, the Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970’s by Tom Doyle (published by Birlinn) is getting lots of acclaim – there’s a three page spread and a four star review in Mojo Magazine, also a 4 star review in the current Q Magazine and will be a big feature in the Sunday Times on the 1 September – that’s this Sunday! To cap it all, Paul McCartney has also done a Bowie, and released a single yesterday, with no forward publicity! Have a listen to it and see what you think below on YouTube – personally I don’t rate it very highly – but there are plenty that do, and it is all great publicity for the book!

Order Man on the Run here

Saving Garry McKinnon: A Mother’s Story by Janis Sharp (Biteback) is also getting a lot of coverage. The Daily Mail serial of this extraordinary true story of a mother’s fight to overcome the biggest powers in the world and the most high-profile extradition case in British history will run sometime in the next fortnight. Janis Sharp will appear on BBC Breakfast on Thursday 12th September and will also do lots of BBC regional radio interviews that same day – so listen out for her; she’s very likely to be on your local radio station. There will be a big interview with her in the Times and also in Good Housekeeping magazine, and at the end of the month there will be another interview on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Order Saving Gary McKinnon and find out more here.

And lastly, Old Git Wit: Quips and Quotes for the Young at Heart by Richard Benson is going to be featured in the Daily Express on Monday. I think that possibly tells us all we need to know about the readership of the Daily Express; but may I remind you that the previous edition, of this title has sold 130,000 copies and this is an essential book for any speech writer or joke lover in need of a quip. It’s published by Summersdale in September and you can order Old Git Wit here!

Talking of Old Gits, why not have a little watch of Harry Enfield and chums just to get your weekend of to a jolly start!

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read weekly by over 600 booksellers, publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.