Book claims Zodiac Killer was author's father

A new book to be published by HarperCollins could hold the identity of the infamous Zodiac Killer within its pages. The Most Dangerous Animal of All, written byGary L. Stewart reveals the author's belief that the notorious Zodiac Killer was in fact his biological father. The book is released next week in the UK, but is already available in the US where it is - it's fair to say - grabbing quite a lot of attention.

The identity of the Zodiac killer, active in the 60s and 70s in California, has never been established. That is despite an extraordinary amount of time spent on the case and  killers own letters to police and media alleging to contain clues as to his own identity.

Stewart though believes the killer was his father, and in an interview with People told that he thinks the killers victims resembled his mother, Judith Gilford, a 14 year old who Best ran away from home with in 1963. Best was later arrested and imprisoned for offences inclusing raping a minor.

Speaking about the book HarperCollins spokesperson, Laura Lees, has offered:

"Years of research led Gary to the conclusion, after he launched a search for his biological father shortly after his birth mother made contact with him. He also says he unearthed forensic evidence among the clues he found."

The author's evidence is included in the book, and the cover displays an image of Best some may feel compelled to compare to a police artist's sketch of the Zodiac killer.

Earl Van Best though, if he was the killer, died in 1984. And the San Francisco Police Department have refused to compare the author's DNA with that held on file.

Stewart says the evidence was "the last thing" he wanted to find when looking into his past, having been contacted by Gilford in 2002.  But he does hope the book may "bring some closure to the families of my father's victims".

Title tells of UK's first spin doctor

The story of the UK's first 'spin doctor' should make for fascinating reading for anyone with an eye for communications...or  maybe those with a strong love/hate for PR. Former journalist-turned-author Richard Evans has written a book about the UK's first spin doctor, Sir Basil Clarke, the man to be credited for enabling the Alastair Campbells of the country.

That might be unfair, for the former sportsman Sir Basil intended to be a pioneer in founding the country's first PR firm. He succeeded in 1927, and the UK government made use of his "propaganda by news" - an approach which meant providing facts specific to a preferred story.

Indeed author Richard Evans explains to Hold The Front Page exactly how Sir Basil was key in bringing PR to our shores.

“Although PR was well-established in America, no-one had thought it necessary in Britain. The war changed all that because everyone could see the power of propaganda.

"When Sir Basil started in the role, it was a pioneering move and he later moved to Dublin Castle as the occupation of Ireland was deeply unpopular.”

Although he was knighted for services in Ireland, Sir Basil did come in for heavy criticism. As the author of a British response to 1920's Bloody Sunday, he was accused of conjuring fiction by Sinn Féin.

Evans though believes, "All the evidence points to it being a mistake". Adding, "As founding fathers go I think he did believe in the ethics of public relations and had a reputation for standing up to people.” Apparently now and again he would do that with his fists; not a man to back down.

The whole of Sir Basil Clarke's story may no longer be well known. Yet From the Frontline: The Extraordinary Exploits of Sir Basil Clarke at Dunham Massey seeks to lift the lid on the UK's chief crafter of comment.

Pan Macmillan hands Miranda Dickinson six-figure deal

Pan Macmillan has handed Miranda Dickinson a six-figure, three-book deal, the Bookseller has reported. Six figures is sizable, and when the fifth largest publisher in the UK spends such an amount it's probably not on a whim. So just who is Miranda Dickinson, and why the sum?

The short answer is this: Dickinson is a Sunday Times bestselling author, about whom Caroline Hogg (a Pan senior commissioning editor) says, “If you’re a fan of women’s fiction, you’ll know what an inspiration Miranda is within the community."

The deal sees Ms Hogg acquire the world English rights for Dickinson's next three titles, so of course such praise is expected. Still, Dickinson is the author of six novels with the latest (Take A Look At Me Now) boasting a 4-star Amazon average and a 3.78 Goodreads score. And the author clearly has a fair amount of fans.

Miss R. Saberton writes about Take A Look At Me Now:

Well written, sympathetic characters that stay with the reader and, as always, delivered with Miranda's trademark compassion and humour. I loved it.

And a review from Pajama Book girl reads:

My first Miranda Dickinson novel has finally been read and I must say I enjoyed it greatly. Take a look at me now is extremely thorough in explanation and has a quirky and unique way in which it is wrote, this means that you are straight away dragged into the book by your hair!

Pan Macmillan will obviously be hoping for more of the same from the author, who has been delivering her stories like clockwork for the last five years. Since 2009 every late-October or early November has seen a new Dickinson novel.

Following the sequence we'd assume the new deal includes a release later this year, as well as books to be released in 2015 and 2016.

Yep, we've probably jinxed it!

Not everyone may be a fan of the author's work - being cliché and being too twee, the main criticisms - but every author has their critics, and we doubt Pan Macmillan is too worried.

Obviously we wish her well with the new deal. Dickinson herself writes in an update, "I'm moving on to the next big chapter of my writing life – and I’m so excited!"

Mills & Boon hotel 'The Chatsfield' launches

Mills & Boon publisher Harlequin has launched an intriguing online extension to the series' scandalous world - in the shape of a digital hotel, The Chatsfield.

We'll admit we're perhaps not the biggest followers of the series, but both fans and the curious should check out what is an interesting undertaking by the publisher. And one aiming to deliver "the next chapter in storytelling".

That line comes from Harlequin's UK MD, Tim Cooper, as The Chatsfield seeks to deliver an engaging expansion of the Mills & Boon world through a unraveling three month story. And explaining the launch, Cooper adds:

Women are engaging evermore with on-going characters and wanting to interact and learn more about them and are consuming content in different formats across different platforms. So I looked to create an intersection between our series publishing programme and other media.”

The site will act as the home for all manner of  scandal, delivered through a mix of multimedia linked to social media, uncovering a plot involving over 800 bits of content about a hotel which is rich in style, luxury and your typical Mills & scandal.

If that sounds right up your street get over to the site, perhaps 'check in' and enjoy the experience. If it doesn't, you may return to your favoured genre or series.

But before you do, it is worth noting that Harlequin's move is a noteworthy attempt to expand the fictional into the digital; potentially offering many fans another way to connect to their favoured titles. Perhaps the best way to do so is to just read them - but we can't help but admire potential innovation and added content.

We're certainly fans of David Mitchell's recent interactive leanings and - as the unofficial home of J.K Rowling's Hogwarts shows - there's high interest in making digital the worlds which much-loved characters inhabit.

Mills & Boon fans may perhaps already know that the series had a new site launched earlier this year. And with Harlequin becoming part of HarperCollings, support for any evolution will likely be well-backed.

Letters of Note book auction live

Letters of Note is welcoming bids for copies of Letters of Note and To The Letter, signed by performers from the most recent Letters Live event. Letters of Note has lifted itself from the ether of the Internet in recent times, turning the site founded by Shaun Usher into a self-titled book as well as a fledgling series of live events.

The most recent of these fine events took place on April 23rd, to coincide with the Reading Agency's annual World Book Night. It saw a host of readers including Stephen Fry, Lisa Dwan, Russell Brand, Louise Brealey and Andrew Motion all reading selected...well, letters of note.

Now, in a positive push to raise some funds for the Reading Agency, two books signed by the night's performers have been put up for auction. The details of the listings, still very much live, read:

One copy each of Letters Of Note and To The Letter were signed by: Stephen Fry • Caitlin Moran • Russell Brand • James Rhodes • Lisa Dwan • Matt Berry • Louise Brealey • Andrew Motion • Morgana Robinson • Andrew O’Hagan • David Nicholls at a World Book Night event in association with The Reading Agency, at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Wednesday 23 April. 

There's not a lot else we can add to that. The Letters of Note book auction will be live for the next four and a bit days, with the current top bid standing at £260.

So, if you fancy snagging the two titles - or just ensuring that the Reading Agency gets a fair sum of money (and you some excellent books in return) - head here.

Happy bidding!

Busting boundaries: English Pen's World Bookshelf

Being that W&M is relatively new in the world of books, we thought we'd get out from behind our desk and be active. So, because we like shifting our horizons (and because we were thankfully allowed to attend), we were at the launch at English PEN's 'World Bookshelf'. held at Foyle's on Charing Cross Road.

For the uninitiated, English Pen is the founding member of the Free Word Centre, and the founding centre of the international association of writers. If that means little, it is a charity set up to support the rights of readers and writers both in the UK and internationally. To give a small hint of its beliefs, it's actively fighting for a reversal of the UK's prison book ban.

Needless to say then that English PEN's belief in literary freedom is plastered all over its bookshelf.

Happy to be in like-minded (if far superior) company, we arrived in Foyle's 'gallery' area and took a seat surrounded by book lovers and industry professionals. We then moved seat; not wanting our mind to be the only thing able to stretch. Frankly, we weren't disappointed, as what was to follow was enlightening, enjoyable and highly interesting.

Harriet Gilbert of BBC Radio 4's 'A Good Read' and the World Service's 'The World Book Club' led things. Joined by novelists Nikita Lalwani, Elif Shafak and the translator Frank Wynne, the evening was relaxed, welcoming and genuinely revealing.

Each of the guests talked openly about their experience of writing in (and having text ported to) different languages. With the guests reading excerpts from personally chosen titles, we were treated to books in translation which inspired, intrigued or challenged them. All the while Gilbert listened avid as the rest of us, yet guiding the evening with insight and purpose as needed.

For those, like us, who read very little translated material, it was dazzling to be made aware of the artistry that goes in to making a book region-suitable. Titles, phrases, indeed whole passages of text have to be considered for suitability.

Elif Shafak recounted that one of her books Iskender, was translated to English (Honour) and Italian (House of Four winds) with changed titles. In English, Iskender (Alexander) may be taken as a history of Alexander the Great. In Italian, Honour (Honore) might be taken as a mafia-themed title.

Such considerations were alien to us. And we likely weren't alone: With English-writing authors works dominating British bookshelves, much of the magic of translation - and of the rhythm, themes and stories skilfully carried from other languages - are missed by many of us.

And so 'The World Bookshelf'.

Not content with letting readers miss out on international literature, English PEN has opened and committed to an "online gateway" showcasing the works of international writers - all made accessible through translation.

A portal full of author, book and translator info, complete with a blog and the possibility of future events. Meanwhile, a PEN Atlas section allows exploration and discovery of literature and by the continent.

We'd be stunned if we weren't so impressed by the portal. More importantly though, we're now struck by a daring feeling: the feeling that we may hold truly dear a book not native in English, but powerfully adopted.

What that book might be we're not yet sure. But we know who might help.

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A podcast of the evening should shortly be available; we'll be sure to link to it here when it is!