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October 15-31, 2003 Edition
HOME: http://www.authorlink.com Allen says he won’t write the memoir unless a publisher offers what he thinks it’s worth . HarperCollinsUK, Random House Bid
$1 Million-Plus for Woody Allen Autobiography
NEW YORK, NY/10/11/03—HARPERCOLLINSUK and Random House in the U.S. reportedly each are offering more than $1 million to Woody Allen for his as yet unwritten autobiography. Allen says he won’t write the memoir unless a publisher offers what he thinks it’s worth. But that figure has not yet been made public.
Allen is widely adored as a film icon both in the U.S. and abroad. He is also a popular writer who regularly contributes to the New Yorker.
International Creative Management (ICM) circulated the proposal to editors in early October. Some publishers are reluctant to bid, saying that the proposal includes aspects of Allen’s life that may be too controversial, particularly for the UK market. Allen calls himself “a breaker of taboos— the taboo of family, the taboo of race,” referring to his relationship with and subsequent marriage to his adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, who is 36 years younger than Allen. The relationship apparently began when Soon-Yi was quite young, and before Allen and his former partner Mia Farrow were divorced, a situation that might not be accepted by many Brits.
Various reports indicate that HarperCollinsUK may be offering form $1 million to $2.25 million, while Random House may bid $1.25 to $1.3 million. Kate Jones at ICM is agenting the deal.
