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Bent's Notes Horace Bent @horacebent


Fear and loathing in... the Hof T


o Macmillan’s 175th bash, with John “Singer” Sargent on hand to celebrate the venerable firm’s history. A bit of pedantry here, Sarge: Daniel and Alexander Macmillan did not “literally come down from the hills of Scotland” to found the company. The Macmillans were not Highlanders, but from the Isle of Arran, situated in the Firth of Clyde between the mainland and the long Kintre Peninsula. Glaswegians call the island The Bawbag, and if you can’t imagine why, hop to Google Maps for an aerial view. To be fair: “the Macmillan brothers came over from the


island known colloquially as the scrotum of Scotland”, while accurate, has litle poetry. One of the things exciting the chatering classes at the Mac bash (and aſter-parties) was common book fair currency: envy. Not at the big-money deals for books by “civilians”, but for the inevitable tranche of titles from indus- try insiders. We have seen Litle, Brown’s Emma Beswetherick turn kids’ author for Oneworld, and S&S US’ Emily Pride co-write a “compulsive page-turner” for HarperCollins. Strangely, no sign of a Waterstones staffer deal (a book-fair staple) or, for that mater, a Bookseller (past and present) signing. Journalists from this Organ have been known to hobnob contacts to nab book deals—some even for a significant four-figures. “Then there’s that Curtis Brown one, we’re all so happy for her,” an agent mutered darkly in the wee hours at the Frankfurter Hof. That’s Abbie Greaves, whose The Silent Treatment is hot in the Messe. Greaves has both youth and talent, and thus deserves scorn. One can understand the envy: many in the trade are frustrated novelists, and oſten think of colleagues whose writing has facili- tated their escape: Litle, Brown’s Antonia Hodgson, say, or Waterstones’ Joseph Knox. Oh, to flee the meagrely remunerated trade for the untold, abundant riches of authorship! One last note, of an anniversary far more important than Macmillan’s. Fort years ago Trevor Bounford and the dearly departed Bruce Robinson dreamt up Te Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year, which I have been honoured to be the custodian of for more than three decades. (They did it to “stave off boredom” at FBF—a different age!) To return the award to its original autumn slot, we are doing the 2018 edition in two weeks’ time. The shortlist is still being prepared by our crack judging panel (er, me). So, there is still time for a suggestion. Get in touch!


My faf the


One other said, quite matt ting thct, thatering classes at ths my Mac bash (and after I-partiles) wais common book fair me, currlency: envy


things excier of fae chat the problem wae first name and that shou d swtch to my middle na Pau


PUBLISHING ESCAPEE EXHIBIT #1


ANTONIA HODGSON


To submit contenders for the Diagram Prize 2018, tweet your suggestions to @HoraceBent or alternately email horace.bent@thebookseller.com.


TheBookseller.com 27


AGENT-CUM-AUTHOR ABBIE GREAVES HAS SPIED HER ESCAPE FROM THE TRADE


Horace Bent At FBF 2018





PUBLISHING ESCAPEE EXHIBIT #2 JOSEPH KNOX


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