Famous writers for front page?
Sun, 2001-09-02 23:36
#1
Famous writers for front page?
AOL Genius has suggested in another thread that we have pics of famous writers, with a brief bio on the front page. Now I'm not sure on the copyright side of things (and haven't had a chance to chat to anyone else in the office to see what they think of the idea) so I don't know if we can do it but purely for fun, who do you think we should include if we did? Answers to include:
Author's name
Most famous piece of work
Any other interesting facts about them
I'll start with Oscar Wilde - probably most famous for A Picture of Dorian Gray or The Importance of Being Earnest.
He also wrote the well known kid's story 'The Happy Prince' which less people seem to realise was him - and a load of other fantastic kid's stories. Favourite aphorism (although there are so many it could almost be a thread on its own) 'It is the spectator and not life that art really mirrors'
andrew pack
I think Fey is a genius - I will sign up to interviewing Nigella. I do admire her work as well as her more obvious attraction. I will pay my own trainfare, and pay for lunch.
Seriously, it might be worth a go. If we try enough people I think we'll get some success - and the abc team had enough clout to get Mo Mowlam when the site was teeny-tiny.
(I'd actually like to see Missi interviewing Mark and vice versa)
And Fey raises a good point - I'm sure I buy more books than the average person (usually 6 a month) and the site is both award-winning TM and the fastest growing site on the net TM. Surely this counts for something.
Andrea
I think it's a great idea, too.
Can you send Fay Weldon over to A'dam?
Please...
aol Genius
sorry to have led everyone astray, but i'm actually aol retard in deep disguise, guys. I suppose even idiots can have at least one good idea, eh?
ps I'm a reformed character now - in future i'm going to be aol angel.
Rows and flows of angel hair. And ice cream castles
in the air. And feather canyons everywhere ...
Anyone got a second-hand harp?
(sorry to harp on about it).
pps i think Fey is great, too.
fish
i would like to interview Tibor Fischer .. the Collector Collector (an energetic and enjoyably rude read) mentions market harborough ... and not in a good light ... i want some Answers!
Emily Dubberley
I love the idea of you all doing interviews for the site - can't make any promises but I'll see what I can do. I think it's more likely that I'll be able to blag interviews with people doing the rounds and them offer them up to you, rather than get all your dream people but I'll try my best.
Will start approaching publishers and see who I can get. Who would people like to *bagsy* now if I get them? (already know about Fey/Shane, Andrew/Nigella, Fish/Billy etc but more to look out for would be good)
andrew pack
Quite prepared to interview anyone who is "doing the rounds" - that is probably a better way of doing it. *clears throat* I believe that Kylie has a single to promote...
But interviewing is something that would be interesting to do and is the only genre of work that you absolutely can't do on your own. I'd really like to have a crack at it.
Wolfgirl
If Michael Moorcock is still alive, I would love to have a chat with him. However, Helen Dunmore would be my absolute fav.
Emily Dubberley
Cheers Fey. I *love* compliments :-)
Not sure if we can get Kylie, Andrew, but I'll see what I can do. Given that I used to work for a music mag and it was hard to get people of that profile even then, I *really* can't make any promises. Although if you lot can give me loads of proof that you buy *a lot* of singles and albums, I'll have a better chance at it...
Still, at least no-one's asked me to blag an interview with Shakespeare! (speaking of which, have you seen http://www.shakespearesmonkey.co.uk yet - very good concept and one of the best promotions I've ever seen for a poetry book - make sure you click on the poem link if you visit the site 'cos it's a great poem)
robert
the very snoggable columnist mark steel put out his first book a couple of months ago, which i have just ordered...
Dave Randall
I'd interview the late great Douglas Adams and start with;
So tell me Douglas, how is the restaurant at the end of the universe?
andrew pack
Maybe newly published authors would have resonance with our community, and also be more willing to talk to us, since fame is still a novelty.
I'd love to interview Peter Ackroyd - principally to ask him if I can use any of the sixty ideas for stories I came up with while I was reading "London a Biography" - inspired by little asides he makes.
Tony Cook
A rather late reply to Wolfgirl - Michael Moorcock is still alive and well and living in the USA.
He wrote a wonderful piece for Red Pepper about a year ago - I must declare an interest here in that I co-founded and now chair the Board of that august journal - so go to their web site and see if it's on there - if it isn't then email the site Editor (Scott Redding) and tell him to put it on!
I didn't get to meet him but loved his sci-fi books when I was young and love his more serious stuff these days. He's a true original and you don't get many of them to the pound!
pip pip,
Tony
concrete larynx
Hello all,
anything about Franz Kafka would be amazing. Obviously he is dead etc, but it would be nice to see the old sport featured.
I bet loads of these authors who've been mentioned wouldn't object to at least e-mail interviews, you know, mail the questions to them through their publishers or whatever.
this really is a good idea though, all is good.
concrete larynx
Roy Bateman
Good idea - I'm sure there's something we can all learn about our favourites. Why not begin with writers who've undoubtedly contributed at least one twentieth-century classic? My immediate thoughts would be Orwell and Steinbeck. Nothing controversial there!
Wolfgirl
Yes, Oscar deserves front page status. Anyone who could pen The Selfish Giant deserves immortality....
fey
I don't know if this would be AT ALL feasible, but I'd love to see interviews by writers from this site with living famous writers whom they admire (and maybe find sesy:0)) so Liana could interview Brian Patten, Ivory could interview Billy Bragg, Rob could interview Nick Hornby, or that man from the Independent, Andrew could interview Nigella Lawson...
Could ABC do this? Obviously it wouldn't involve either side being paid, but an interviewee might like the change of being asked questions by someone who knows and respects their work, and it would be good publicity for them - ABC contributors MUST buy more books on average than most people?
Andrew, you DO know and respect Nigella Lawson's work?
Andrea
As far as I understand it, Em, copyright expires 70 years after the death of the author. A brief bio (especially one written by someone such as your good self) presents no problem, obviously. I'm not too sure on the artwork aspect (although, if I wasn't so lazy I could look it up), although I suspect that in these 'save as wallpaper' days, that wouldn't present much of a problem either...
A great idea from the Genius (and more palatable than todays Fish, methinks).
Go for Oscar, possibly my all-time favourite bloke (including the fathers of me kids)...
fish
unpalatable? ....harrumph
Andrea
Sorry, Fish, only just realised I'd capitalised the bloody things.
Force of habit...