Film deals can take an age…
Sports books worth reading…
Farewell and hello!
IMAGINE this. Your novel has been accepted and before publication
a draft has reached LA where Stephen Spielberg calls you from his car to
say his Dreamworks company would like to take an option on the film rights.
What do you do? Buy yourself a new car? Take your agent to the Ivy for
lunch? Buy a couple of diamonds? Or perhaps contribute to the Rumanian
sanctuary for orphaned and abandoned children?
I have been waiting for around six years to see the film version of the
brilliant Deborah Moggach book Tulip Fever and was reminded of
this as the paperback version has just appeared.
But does it say on the cover those magic words: Now a major motion
picture. It does not. For it has had more false starts than any normal
person could bear. The first villain was chancellor Gordon Brown who,
without warning, withdrew tax break support for the British film industry.
True, the system had sometimes been abused so he decided to end the
concession and out went the baby with the bath water. Stars
disappeared…budgets were trimmed…a different producer hired and expenditure
on initial planning wasted.
Hard luck Tulip Fever and Deborah. The story is set in 17th
century Amsterdam which enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and many wealthy
patrons for artists. So we still await the film but if you missed the
hardback do pick up the paperback.
Meanwhile the disappointed author works on other TV and film adaptations
and has another new novel out: In the Dark.
It is a love story set in the first world war but is geared more to the
home front rather than the slaughter in the trenches. I haven’t read it yet
so I cannot say whether it is as good or better than the excellent Tulip
Fever.
When film deals are announced they create a great deal of excitement
but it should be remembered that Paramount option around 100 scripts each
year and make ten pictures.
A good friend of mine once had a book optioned by Disney who renewed the
option three times. Still no film and the conditions which made his book a
funny spoof on Russian/American relations no longer exist.
He is now working on another story which should have been filmed to
coincide with the last Olympics. Never mind David – perhaps it will be ready
for the next one.
SPORTS books do not get much of a look-in at Writers’ Forum.
Much as we like biographies, the doings of Wayne Rooney and co offer little
to enthuse about. But two books recently are worth a mention. One by former
Prime Minister John Major - More than a Game: the story of Cricket’s
Early Years; and Provided You don’t Kiss Me: 20 years with Brian
Clough by journalist Duncan Hamilton.
Major recounts a match in 1776 between Kent and Essex which ended in a
riot, a fight between the two teams and two deaths. This apart, Major’s book
will find a place in every cricket lover’s library. It calls to mind that
great broadcast interview between Mike Brearley and John Arlott: What do
they know of cricket who only cricket know.
Cloughie was one of sport’s great characters. As one of the visiting
teams went out to look at the Nottingham Forest pitch before getting changed
he hollered: "Hey, no high heels on the pitch."
The astonished visitiors turned to him in amazement. "We’re not wearing
high heels."
"Sorry," said Clough " my mistake, but they usually go with ear rings."
LITERARY agent Andrew Lownie, who specialises in biography, had a
superb run in April selling four books to British publishers.
Bloomsbury bought world rights in Christopher Lloyd’s A Brief History
of Absolutely Everything, the first combined history of the world and
its inhabitants.
Duncan McNair’s sequel to The Morello Letters has been
commissioned by Harper Collins who will publish this autumn.
Terry Spamer’s memoir of his work as an undercover animal investigator,
Animal Eye, has been sold to Vision Publishing who publish this
autumn. Weidenfeld have bought UK rights to Professor John Hatcher’s
recreation of how the Black Death affected one Suffolk village and publish
next year.
Robert Holden’s appearance on Oprah generated huge demand around the
world for rights in his books, a demand which will no doubt increase after
he returns to the show.
Another of his authors, Robert Hutchinson, writes for us on page 10 of
the magazine.
You can check Andrew’s web site for up-to-date information.
RICHARD HAMMOND’S £10,000 prize from the Royal Society Of
Literature for his book is well documented in this issue but then we noticed
another news item. He has bought a new motor bike - a Ducati 1098 capable of
175mph.
This is to go with his Dodge Charger, Porsche 911, Land Rovers (2),
Harley Davidson, Ford Mustang, Morgan V6 and a Suzuki GSXR 1000.
I should think his £10,000 prize will hardly cover his insurance
premiums. What does he put down in the accidents box on the proposal form?
AS I am now stepping down as editor of Writers’ Forum it is
time to welcome Carl Styants, who will take over the chair. Accordingly I
would like to thank everybody who has supported the magazine in so many ways
during the past six years and the many friends I have met personally and
through its pages.
I’ve told Carl that the readers edit this magazine – we merely respond to
what you want.
"Fine," he said and invited me to stay as a contributor and to run a help
page answering your queries. I will be delighted and wish him well and every
one of you success with your efforts.
