‘THE LEGACY’ PROVES TO BE THE HOT TICKET

News: TV Book Club announces Top 3 Summer Reads, as Winner Leaves Day Job Behind

Debut novelist Katherine Webb emerged triumphant as the verdict was announced this week on the nation’s favourite summer reads. Her novel The Legacy was featured in the acclaimed Cactus production for Channel 4’s TV Book Club which featured eight titles over the summer months. Close second and third positions were taken by Kate Kerrigan’s Ellis Island and Lucie Whitehouse’s The Bed I Made in an online poll for viewers.

The TV Book Club success has topped a great start for first time novelist Katherine Webb whose book has now been sold to the US, with rights sales underway in eight other countries. As a result of the TV Book Club success, the book has become a linksave title in the Waterstones retail chain this week and Webb has been given a new two-book contract in the UK. This new career has allowed her to put the world of housekeeping – in which she was previously employed – behind her. Her last day in her current role came just days after her TV Book Club victory.

Webb says of her success: “I'm absolutely thrilled that The Legacy has won the popular vote for this year's eight summer reads. It's so wonderful to know that people are out there reading and enjoying my book! I'd like to send out a huge thank you to everybody who read and voted for it. As an unknown debut author, The TV Book Club has given me invaluable exposure to a wider audience, and I'm enormously grateful to have been selected. The success of the book has meant I've been able to give up my day job (today is my last day!) to concentrate on writing full time. This really is the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition for me. I've just finished my second book for Orion, which will be out next April; and I can't wait to start researching book 3!”

Fronted by Jo Brand and David Spikey, who are joined by a rotating panel of celebrities, The TV Book Club was aired on both Channel 4 and More 4 with daily repeats of all the shows on Channel 4 over the past two weeks.

As the TV Book Club’s Summer Read season drew to a close, sales of featured titles totalled £2 million, with The Legacy alone selling 130,000 copies in this unique promotional mix of national television exposure, universal national retail support and libraries. A favourite among booksellers, the book club is widely considered to be instrumental in the creation of bestsellers.

Commenting on the role of the book club in the development of an author’s career, Susan Lamb Managing Director of Orion Paperbacks and Webb’s publisher says: “We always knew that Katherine Webb was a great debut novelist but the TV Book Club has given her the readers she deserves.”

Amanda Ross, Managing Director of Cactus TV and the creator of the TV Book Club says: “I am delighted for Katherine, Kate and Lucie whose books have been picked out by our viewers and readers as their top three, it’s great so many people read along with us and took the time to tell us who their favourites were. It’s always gratifying when we’re able to give a debut novelist such a great start, and the success for Katherine has proved to be quite literally life changing!”

Funded by Specsavers, The TV Book Club is set to return to the screen in January 2011 for its third series of television devoted solely to books and authors.

Members of the public were able to vote for their favourite Summer Read title via the Channel 4 website (www.channel4.com/tvbookclub) between 18th June and 23rd August 2010.