Norway's most stolen

According to an article in the Norwegian press, the books that are stolen most from Norwegian bookshops are erotic ones. The Story of O is particularly popular among thieves, apparently; Pauline Reage's sadomasochistic classic now bears the legend "Norway's most stolen book" on the front cover. Presumably the publisher does not expect that shout line to be an incitement.

Here, the stealing of travel guides for sale from stalls near Waterloo station attracts more publicity. What are your most stolen books?



Last week, I suggested that the disobliging reflection of publishing in a couple of recent novels must refer exclusively to US practices. But the novelist Tibor Fischer, writing in the Daily Telegraph, is no more flattering about the industry on this side of the Atlantic. "The way British publishing works," Mr Fischer writes, "is that you go from not being published no matter how good you are, to being published no matter how bad you are."

That's hardly controversial, I must admit. What is more likely to grab readers' attention is Mr Fischer's application of this dictum to Martin Amis, who is more usually treated, except by diary columnists, with awed respect. Mr Amis' forthcoming novel Yellow Dog (Cape) is "terrible", writes Mr Fischer, who is also, in my memory, the first author to go on the record with disparaging comments about Mr Amis' agent, Andrew Wylie. Mr Wylie is best known for his appetite for gaining clients from other agencies; but Mr Fischer left him, for William Morris. "Jettisoning Wylie was very much the right decision," he writes. "It still gives me a satisfying glow to think of it." (Hildy Johnson, p19.)



Proving that they are interested in sports other than quidditch, my friends at Bloomsbury are giving away six pairs of tickets to the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy Final at Lords on Saturday 30th August. Just tell us the name of the new sponsors of Bloomsbury's Cricket Year 2003 (November), edited by Jonathan Agnew. Send entries to me (my e-mail address is below, and the Organ's terrestrial address is on page three).



While on the subject of Bloomsbury, I should give you an update of the results of my trawl of sub-editors' reworkings of magical themes. "Harry Potter magical for Barnes & Noble", Reuters reported last month. The Financial Times introduced Ottakar's half-year results with "Harry Potter works magic for Ottakar's"; while the Independent's take on the story was "Harry Potter magic lifts Ottakar's". (Uh oh: I've just spotted page 20.)

Horace Bent

bent@bookseller.co.uk