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October 15-31, 2004 Edition BOOK DEALS Small Publisher
Elated Over
Jelinek’s Nobel Prize
LONDON/10/11/04Small London publisher Pete Ayrton of Serpent’s Tail returned from the Frankfurt Book Fair glowing over the recent announcement that one of his authors, Elfriede Jelinek of Austria, has won the Noble Prize in literature.
The Austrian author, who is in her mid 50s, has been with Serpent’s Tail since the publisher was launched 18 years ago, and now has four titles in print there. The works, originally published in German by Rohwolt, were translated into English by Serpent’s Tail. Jelinek’s novel Lust was adapted for the French movie The Piano Teacher. The Serpent’s Tail edition by the same name has sold about 20,000 copies, however her other titles sell several hundred copies a year.
Jelinek does not yet have an American publisher, but Ayrton expects several the Nobel win will bring some attractive offers.
Bookspan to Pre-release
Patterson’s Latest Novel
LONDON/10/08/04Bookspan, Bertlesmann’s direct bookselling group, headed by Ewald Walgenbach as CEO, will publish James Patterson’s latest thriller, Honeymoon, in January, a month ahead of the novels release to U.S. retail stores. The book also will be published simultaneously by Bertelsmann’s International Book of the Month Club, making it available in 15 other countries.