Book marks
An unusual exhibition of in-fighting promises to enliven Conservative political life this autumn. I can disclose that two experienced gentlemen of the benches have been courting Mrs Margaret Thatcher — in a perfectly proper manner, it must be stressed, and for a perfectly proper reason: money. In ungallant anticipation of Mrs Thatcher's fiftieth birthday, the former member for Ipswich Mr Ernie Money has written a biography for Frewin entitled Margaret Thatcher: First Lady of the House. But perusing the autumn list of Messrs William Kimber what do we find? Yes, a little item called Margaret Thatcher, written by Mr George Gardiner, Conservative MP for Reigate. Money's version will cost £4.95 and is scheduled for September. Gardiner's book is only £2.95, but is not to be published until October.
Punch-drunk
The punch-drunk people at Penguin Books are, I hear, being nettled by another round of criticism — this time from the newly formed Writers and Readers Co-operative, a number of whose members are disenchanted ex-Pen guin employees. The Co-operative recently published the first in a series of papers on children's literature called Racist and Sexist Images in Children's Books. By an odd coincidence four of the ten essays concerned books published in Puffin, and by another odd coincidence the cover carried pictures of the four 'offending' Puffin covers, including Dr Doolittle and Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Bookbuyer is all for bashing big publishers from time to time, but this last one seems below the belt. The main charge against Charlie and the Chocolate Factory concerns a bunch of people called the Oompa-Loompas who are small, stupid, and black. But at some cost and trouble Puffin had already made changes to the American edition of the book by deleting references to 'black' and Africa and having the relevant artwork re-drawn. The Co-operative clearly does not believe in letting a few facts get in the way of malice.
Hi!
I am indebted to Alastair Cooke for this latest anecdote of author's vanity. It appears the , mischievous Republican commentator William Buckley Jr recently sent a complimentary copy of his latest book to his friend Norman Mailer. Opening it Mailer was surprised to find neither signature nor inscription. Undaunted, however, he followed the practice of all egocentric notables by turning to the index to see whether his name was in it. There was indeed a single reference to Mailer, Norman. He looked it up. There, in the page margin, was the simple handwritten message: "Hi!"
No comment
I quote the following exchange in Parliament entirely without comment. Mr R. C. Mitchell, addressing the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science: "Is my Hon. Friend aware that some local authorities are cutting back drastically on the supply of books in their schools? Will he impress upon education authorities that the two things that no education authority should cut, whatever else it may cut, are the numbers of teachers and the supply of books?"
Mr Armstrong, replying: "I am glad to have that comment from my Hon. Friend. The rate support grant settlement allowed for a modest improvement in education expenditure in real terms. We gave no grounds for any authority's cutting either its teacher quota or the expenditure on books and equipment."
Come to think of it, I will comment. Why didn't he answer the question?
Bookbuyer
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