Books: Cover Stories

The Literator
Saturday 19 June 1999 00:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

BE AFRAID, Donald Dewar and Tony Blair, be very afraid. Pat Lally, the legendary ex-Lord Provost of Glasgow who replaced tenement knife-fights with cappuccini in galleries as the world's image of his city, is writing his memoirs. Lally has just survived a suspension by the Labour Party, which threw out allegations of malpractice against him. If anyone knows where Scottish Labour's bodies are buried, he does, and now he has the terrifying team of Eddie Bell (at Harper Collins) and Giles Gordon (his agent) behind him. Scary.

A TREAT for fans of William, Richmal Crompton's much-loved creation. He turns 80 this year, having made his debut in Home magazine in 1919. At the height of his 1940s popularity, he outsold even the Bible. Macmillan, Crompton's original publishers, will this summer publish a collection of Just William stories chosen by Martin Jarvis, William's "voice" on radio, on cassette. More traditional readers will delight at the republication of the first 20 William titles.

MICHAEL CRICHTON is taking a lead from Tom Clancy and is setting up his own software business. Timeline Studios, a computer-gaming outfit, will look at Crichton's books with a view to creating "quality computer games", of which Crichton is a fan. The launch will coincide with his next book, Timeline, due this autumn from Random House.

THE DINNER for the IMPAC Award, presented in Dublin to Andrew Miller for Ingenious Pain, was truly a million-dollar affair. The largesse provided by the American management consultancy was quite extraordinary, beginning with limitless champagne and canapes and concluding with Havanas by the truckload. The cigars were much appreciated by IMPAC's American guests, for Cuba's finest are illegal in the US. Lord Archer appeared as MC, and there were titters from Irish tables when he introduced "Bertie and Mrs Ahern". As everyone knows, the Irish PM long ago ditched his wife for his girlfriend.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in