Sadbh: It seems that Joseph O'Connor, whose book Star of the Sea is floating near the top of both the Irish and British sales charts, owes a debt to the popular daytime TV couple, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
Their weekly book club, in which a celebrity appears on Richard & Judy each Wednesday (Channel 4, 5 p.m.) to discuss a new book, has become the talk of the industry. A positive review is likely to push sales through the roof. O'Connor's novel about Irish emigrants fleeing the Famine was one of the first books to feature, with guest reviewer Bob Geldof describing it as "a masterpiece". The week before the TV show, it sold 4,441 copies; the week after, 12,272 copies. Amazon.co.uk sold out of copies immediately. Richard & Judy's golden touch has helped other books too: when Starter for Ten, by David Nicholls, was featured recently, there was also a big surge in sales. Now Star of the Sea is headed for the big screen. The London-based Blake Friedmann Literary Agency has done a movie deal with Working Title Films, whose hits include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones' Diary, Billy Elliot, About a Boy and many others. Discussions with a potential director are already under way.
On Richard & Judy, only 10 books of the 269 titles submitted by publishers were chosen to feature on the programme, and there is not always unquestioning praise. Anne Diamond, for instance, suggested the The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was not quite as profound as had been suggested and both Richard and Judy hated Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani.
Once the book club ends on March 24th, the programme will run a Best Read competition, in which viewers will decide which books they most enjoyed. The list is completed by Brick Lane by Monica Ali, Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller, The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad, The Know by Martina Cole, Toast by Nigel Slater and White Mughals by William Dalrymple.
Wheen and where
Among the highlights of Belfast's Between The Lines festival (March 30th to April 4th) will be the appearance of journalist Francis Wheen, whose book, Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World, is doing impressive business. He will be sharing a podium at the Crescent Arts Centre with Observer columnist Nick Cohen, for a debate titled "Dazed & Confused In Blair's Britannia" on March 31st. Other notable events include Eoin McNamee giving a preview of his new novel, The Ultras, while the opening night will see Bernard MacLaverty, Ciaran Carson and bilingual Belfast poet Gearóid Mac Lochlainn getting things under way for what will be the seventh festival. For festival programme and tickets, tel 02890-242338 or see www.crescentarts.org/btl.html
Welcome to book town
Up until a year ago, the small south Wales town of Blaenavon was just another run-down, post-industrial spot, with half the shops boarded up and only one B & B. Although it had been given World Heritage status in 2000, its glory days seemed well behind it. Today, however, it is the latest "book town", with 11 book shops recently opened, and another six planned. It has recently hosted its first literary festival and a town which had little to offer visitors is now trying to open enough bed and breakfasts to accommodate newcomers.
It's a result of an initiative by booksellers James Hanna and Richard Booth, who saw the potential to turn the town into another Hay-On-Wye, on the principle that one bookshop might not attract visitors, but 10 will. Alongside the various specialist and second-hand bookshops, cafés and art shops are flourishing, and more than 100 jobs are believed to have been created.
Blaenavon now joins other members of the International Organisation of Book Towns, which now has 20 members in, among other countries, Malaysia, Japan, Finland, Canada and Germany. There are no official book towns in Ireland, as yet. www.booktown.net
Frightening words
Here's a writing competition that's a little different from the norm. The Stoker Dracula Gothic Writing Competition is looking for ghost stories, creepy poems, ghoulish dramas or even scary songs.
Anything with banshees, haunted houses, headless horsemen will do, but it can't be any longer than 2,000 words and must not have won a prize anywhere else, or the reaper will be sent around to deal with you. Send entries (accompanied by the €12 fee), to The director, The Stoker Dracula Organisation, c/o 32 Howth Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3. Closing date is
June 1st.