I started the morning yesterday with a Parliamentary visit to the Natural History Museum to see the Shell Wildlife Photographer of The Year exhibition - highly recommended for grandmothers, grand-daughters and everyone in between. There are winners and Highly Commended in every category, but the one that really impressed me was the winner of the under 10s. Go and see it!
My afternoon 'phone interviews with several US regional radio shows were cut short when the Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, resigned, and I became superfluous. The journalist from the Wall Street Journal who interviewed me later that afternoon seemed more interested in my forthcoming trip to India than to America. The journalist explained that India was seen as the emerging market, and he suspects that to be No 1 on the Bombay Times will be just as important as No 1 on the London Times or New York Times. I explained that my sales in India had risen sharply when Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid admitted reading my books, but the man from the Wall St Journal had never heard of either of them.
In the evening I went to a charity private view of the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. Prices range from £50 to £3,000, so it's always packed from the moment it opens. Look out for the sculptors Katy Poett and Mike Speller. I then went on to a party given by Peter and Virginia Bottomley (Virginia was Secretary of State for Health under John Major), to celebrate Virginia's 60th birthday. When I was a young man I thought that when you reached 60 you were approaching death's door, but I confess, without any flattery, that Virginia looked middle-aged when she gave her amusing speech to a packed gallery of friends from both sides of the House. I bet she lives to a 100.
My afternoon 'phone interviews with several US regional radio shows were cut short when the Governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, resigned, and I became superfluous. The journalist from the Wall Street Journal who interviewed me later that afternoon seemed more interested in my forthcoming trip to India than to America. The journalist explained that India was seen as the emerging market, and he suspects that to be No 1 on the Bombay Times will be just as important as No 1 on the London Times or New York Times. I explained that my sales in India had risen sharply when Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid admitted reading my books, but the man from the Wall St Journal had never heard of either of them.
In the evening I went to a charity private view of the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. Prices range from £50 to £3,000, so it's always packed from the moment it opens. Look out for the sculptors Katy Poett and Mike Speller. I then went on to a party given by Peter and Virginia Bottomley (Virginia was Secretary of State for Health under John Major), to celebrate Virginia's 60th birthday. When I was a young man I thought that when you reached 60 you were approaching death's door, but I confess, without any flattery, that Virginia looked middle-aged when she gave her amusing speech to a packed gallery of friends from both sides of the House. I bet she lives to a 100.
10 Comments:
Jeffrey I would love it, if you would be no 1 on Bombay times, but for that your books need to be available in Bombay.:) In fact in todays issue of Mumbai mirror, a newspaper out here it mentions that a prisoner of birth has reached the no 1 position in UK within 3 days of opening and has gone for a fourth reprint. Wonderful to hear that, and we guys haven't even reached the first print...:)
I can supply you with phone nos of all leading bookstores in Bombay, please find out why the books aren't here. I spoke to one of the bookstores out here and they told me the book has not been released in India and is not expected for some time at least. I guess the book would release in May when you tour out here. That could be a marketing plan by the publishers. But seriously is it fair on the readers who are dyeing to read it to wait for so many months? International release date was 6th march and today is 13th, still no sign of the book... I understand I am complaining a lot as this is my 4th mail to you and I promise you it will be the last. Coz now i have truly given up. I feel as helpless as Hamid from "Do not pass Go" (12 red herrings). I may order a book online which costs aroun 17 pounds. When you convert that in Indian Rs that is 1500 Rs approx. And to think had the book released in India i would have paid 275 Rs. Thus i am paying around 11-12 times more. :( and to think the reporter told you India is an emerging market. If only people took it more seriously... Truly heart breaking.
neways i promise not to complain more.
viral - I'm sorry you've felt compelled to write again, but I have just this morning received an email from my publisher to say that the book will be in the shops in India on the 20th March. Best wishes.
Thanks. I am sure it will be worth the wait. looking forward to it. Best wishes for your future endeavors.
Viral - It will be worth the wait, it is *fantastic* and no suprise it got to #1 on the list!!
And My Lord, ofcourse they haven't heard Sachin or Rahul. Philistines the lot :))
I throughly enjoyed the book! Any plans for the *next* one?
I demand a TV Docu-Drama come on Michael Grade this is one for Melvyn and not the BBC
@ mahesh- I always knew it was worth the wait, thus i have been patiently waiting for it since the past few months. And now after hearing so much about it from others, The curiosity grows.. Thus it becomes really difficult to wait any longer.:)
Many Americans know very few things about what goes on outside of the US and some initially thought that Iraq (iRack)was Apple's attempt to enter the breast implant market. I hope the reporter was able to Google Tendulkar and Dravid on his Blackberry. There are fewer excuses for not knowing these days :)
I keep thinking the green highlighted names are links to pages that explain more (like who the people are!!) - but they turn out not to be.
Dear mr.Archer
I know you will be going to delhi and mumbai in your India tour.
What about South India- especially Trivandrum- there is a huge fan following for you at Trivandrum. please do come over here also.
Hello Jeffrey,
I am absolutely thrilled to find your blog, so just couldn't resist from penning down something.
It's very good to know you are planning to visit India. No matter which ever city you visit I'll make sure I'm there before you land :)
I've just ordered for your new book online, the reviews tell me it'll definitely be worth the long wait, for it to release in India and also for you to come up with the next one after 'Cat O'Nine Tales'.
Anticipating to c u soon in India :)
Sagar.
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