The anticipation surrounding the release of a certain memoir today obscures a bigger question about the changing face of our publishing industry. Why does every Tom, Dick and Prince Harry think they can write a book these days?
Figures last week showed the number of independent bookshops in Britain reached a ten-year high in 2022, thanks to a reading frenzy fuelled by pandemic lockdowns, the mushrooming of book groups and, perhaps most of all, the incessant, unstoppable march of the celebrity (not to mention royal) author.
It is good news that there are now more than 1,000 independent bookshops in Britain and Ireland, the culmination of six years of growth at a time when other retail sectors have taken a battering. Not only does it preserve the character of local high streets against the all too familiar line-up of bookies, charity shops and coffee chains, but it is an encouraging sign that, perhaps, the nation is happy to read something longer than a social media post.
However, one look at the bestsellers laid out in such shops also exposes something deep within the psyche of the British public. Just like the author formerly known as a prince, everyone thinks they have a book in them.
How many of the millions of adults who want to write a book have read something by a TV presenter, C-list celebrity, influencer or even a hapless former health secretary and thought ‘I can do that’?
A recent survey of ‘life goals’ by the financial platform Bestinvest found that, among ‘paying off the mortgage’ and ‘travel the world’, one in ten of those questioned said it was their ambition to write a book. Across the population, that adds up to millions of British adults harbouring ambitions to see their name on a dust jacket.
It would be nice to think this is inspired by reading some of the finest works produced by literary giants over the centuries – but is probably more to do with Baddiel than Brontë, Walliams than Woolf and Jordan than Joyce.
By Jordan I mean Katie Price, the former glamour model who has almost a dozen books to her name and was, at one point, among the UK’s 100 bestselling ‘authors’. Such was her status that her daughter, Princess, was snapped up by a publishing company in 2017. Princess was nine at the time. Now 15, she appears to be forging a successful career as the latest nepo baby to become a model.
How many of the millions of adults who want to write a book have read something by a TV presenter, C-list celebrity, influencer or even a hapless former health secretary and reality TV star and thought ‘I can do that’? Or perhaps they have picked up a fictional work by a favourite right-on comedian such as Alexei Sayle, Stephen Fry, Ben Elton or Rob Newman, and fancy their own chances based on little more than the fact they get lots of likes every time they post a joke on Facebook?
The literary aspirations of non-celebrities are no doubt helped by a burgeoning industry in self-publishing, which gives everyone a way of fulfilling their ambition to get that third-rate crime thriller or substandard ‘steamy’ romantic fiction into print while avoiding seeing their efforts turned down by a host of publishers for the simple reason that it’s rubbish.
There are even companies that offer to help compose a person’s autobiography for them, supposedly to leave a written record for their descendants. Ordinary folk can talk to their very own ghostwriter about the hardships they faced, their attitudes to life, their relationships with their family and perhaps even losing their virginity behind a pub in Gloucester.
But when it comes to celebrity writers, it is not just biographies and fiction that are being churned out. There is also a relentless outbreak of the rich and famous who believe they are the next Enid Blyton.
From the outside, children’s books must appear among the easiest to make money from when a 32-page tale about slime or snot can top the bestselling list without having to go through all the hassle of the genuine creativity of a Rowling or Dahl. A list of popular children’s authors includes David Walliams, of course, but also Pharrell Williams, Frank Lampard, David Baddiel, Madonna, Ricky Gervais, the Duchess of York and two members of the pop group Busted.
That is not to say those celebrities who do put pen to paper cannot be acclaimed for their literary prowess on occasion, though. Book groups all over Britain have helped Pointless host Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club become one of the bestselling debut novels of recent years. It won him a seven-figure publishing contract and is due to be made into a movie by Steven Spielberg’s production company. At 6ft 7in, at least he’s one celebrity who can can justifiably call himself a literary giant.
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