Thursday, August 28, 2008

We have often admitted that Marion Boyars Publishers are essentially four people working out of a terraced house in Putney. Of course, our circle of creative contributors is far larger - authors, agents, sales representatives, distributors, translators are just a few, reviewers and bloggers are also vitally important. But unless we have good ideas, and find great people and authors to work with us, our books would be unlikely to see light of day elsewhere. We publish to make a living and to be able to continue this rather strange, but interesting life.

But as August ends, I will admit I have spent a good deal of the month thinking of projects for the future. The really bizarre thing is that a good many of them could become TV shows or the authors turn into TV personalities.

And if we had not worked closely with the authors this just would not have happened. Now for the reality check - we have actually been contacted by Granada TV and a new production house, Red House, about Victoria & Lucinda for a cookery programme based on their book, Victoria & Lucinda's Flavour of the Month. We continue to talk to the development team at 2waytraffic about Lawrence Potter's This May Help You Understand the World, and we are persuading Lawrence to apply for Carol Vorderman's job on Countdown (his book on maths, Mathematics Minus Fear, continues to sell really well - now in batches of 48 so some classes are obviously having to buy it in bulk). And I have just written a marketing plan for Sadomasochism for Accountants which includes Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead...) playing Alan the accountant, with Tamsin Greig as Luda the transvestite (yes, I know she should be a man but I think Tamsin would do the part wonderfully). Ever since Black Books came onto our screens I have thought there should be a TV show about a small, independent publishing house, but maybe we do not need to go on TV - we are too busy inventing it. Yes, four people in a terraced house providing ideas for the TV mega rich and powerful. Something is a little out of kilter here.

Catheryn

3 comments:

Adrian Weston said...

Ha. Fantasy casting is right up there with fantasy dinner parties for filling in the summer months! Bit unfair to cast a woman as a tranny though - what with all the unemployed traies with theatrical pretentions in my neck of the woods ... you'll be fighting them off should it ever come to screen

Anonymous said...

I know - but I adore Tamsin Greig. Maybe she should be Belinda...

And the Granada and Red House info is real, not fantasy. Lawrence Potter is also applying for Carol Vorderman's place on Countdown.

And at our launch for Victoria & Lucinda's Flavour of the Month, Trinny and Susannah did come, along with Alexander Bath of Longleat and a whole lot of other Lords and Ladies. And we did get a feature in the Tatler.

And you're welcome for dinner chez Kilgarrif anytime - I did one for 19 Durham University and London friends of my daughter, and one for 20 of our friends in the last two weekends...they weren't fantasy either!

Adrian Weston said...

well obviously real dinner parties are even better than fantasy ones...

and real TV series too ...

Exciting to read even musings on the book though!