Meet the Author

We wrestle with the problems of working with a group of writers who have joined the choir invisible.

It’s not often that we have cause to be jealous of mainstream publishers but, as we continue to adapt to the brave new world where social media is apparently the key to raising your business profile, we must own up to the occasional tinge of envy.

Our problem is the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ we have to generate to keep on top of the game and we sometimes ponder how much easier would be to have not only a stream of new books coming out but also a whole load of authors on hand who can always be called on to help out; imagine being able to invite Stephen Fry in for a chat about his latest release; or knowing that you only have to mention J.K. Rowling in the headline of a piece and you will break the internet.

That’s not to say that we don’t appreciate the fine body of authors that make up our list – in fact, you couldn’t have a more easy-going bunch. Minimal demands, never a word of complaint and never a mention of the R-word; our recurring nightmare is of Robert Louis Stevenson being reanimated and demanding royalties on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde backdated to 1993. But the problem is that when it comes to interviews they do tend, by definition, to be a little on the reticent side.

We briefly considered getting around this by investing in an Ouija board, but decided this could be fraught with peril; imagine having your illusions shattered by discovering that Jane Austen swore like a docker; or having the Earl of Oxford banging on about why he’s not getting any credit for all those popular Elizabethan plays he wrote.

As it is, we have to settle for an acknowledgement of their contributions in our blogs and social media accounts on the anniversaries of their births and deaths.

But if we could interview them, what a fine choice we would have. And if we had to choose one, it would probably be Oscar Wilde – not only would it be fascinating, but there would be a fair chance that we would net one of his timeless epigrams.

And at this festive time of year, what better gift for a lover of fine literature than Oscar’s Collected Works available in a handsome hardback for only £12.99.

It’s only fair that the last word for this piece should come from Oscar himself, and indeed that they should be his (almost) last words: ‘This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do’.

See our full range of Oscar Wilde titles.