Prince Harry's Memoir: A World Publishing Phenomenon

[MrsMaxDeWinter]

There will likely be several bashing threads on Harry's memoir before it is published, but I am interested in discussing with anyone who is interested in the very interesting marketing choices of the publishers and their approach.

English language editions of SPARE will be published on 10 January 2023 in EIGHT territories: the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and Canada.

The book will also be published in translation in 15 additional languages:

SPANISH Plaza & Janés/Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial
GERMAN Penguin Verlag/Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe GmbH, PORTUGUESE BRAZIL Objetiva/Grupo Companhia das Letras
PORTUGUESE PORTUGAL Objectiva/Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, SIMPLIFIED CHINESE Penguin Random House China
DANISH Politikens Forlag
DUTCH Hollands Diep, an imprint of Overamstel
FINNISH Otava Publishing Company Ltd
FRENCH Éditions Fayard
GREEK Pedio Books
HUNGARIAN Corvina Kiadó
ITALIAN Mondadori,
POLISH Wydawnictwo Marginesy,
ROMANIAN Nemira Publishing House,
SWEDISH Albert Bonniers Förlag.

This is absolutely sensational as it means it will be simultaneously published in 23 territories on the same day.

There are not many books where simultaneous release occurs in different markets. From this, I would say that the book will more than earn its advance, just from the foreign sales alone.

They also chose a banger of a title as it puts focus on the troubling notion of the Spare in a system based on primogeniture, and one that imbues both intrinsic and extrinsic value based on a person's birth order.

Imagine growing up knowing that no matter how loved you may be, your constitutional role is ultimately to be the spare to the heir.

Can't wait to read it!

Thanks for that..Is Finding Freedom the book that Meghan collaborated on?

They were in a hurry. I wonder why?

😂hahaaa the tampon. God so true

Well, I for one am looking forward to the publication of this book, because it will push H&M out, beyond the pale, once and for all.

It will be interesting to see the RF reaction to the book. I always got the (maybe mistaken) impression that it was the queen who settled on the strategy of barely responding publicly. Charles and William might not be so quiet about it, especially if there is any dissing of them or more importantly perhaps, their wives.

"Beyond the pale" would be a rather good title for book 2.

I’ve always thought they were making some sort of point when Doria sat alone at the wedding. Pretty sure a lady in waiting or distant reli could have sat with her, and I can’t imagine there wasn’t a single friend who would have jumped at the chance of flying to the U.K., stay in a posh hotel all expenses paid and then have a front row seat at a royal wedding. Very odd.

I wonder what on earth could be in the book that is explosive. It's bound to come across as more whinging. I can't imagine there's anything really that shocking in it. Harry felt hard done by. Charles wasn't the world's best father? Who knew. William asked Harry to take the fall for some stuff when they were younger. We kind of KNOW all this.

Unless William did have an affair (and I don't think it went that far, K&W have very good eye contact) and that comes out in the book. Unless Camilla locked them in a room or something......... I expect to be bored to death by the explosive revelations.

I wonder if they ever reflect and wish they'd done that, put it in writing, waited for a response.

Because as it happened, covid probably did stall their plans. It was bad timing for them.

I thought that was odd as well. She seems a lovely woman, she will have friends.

She yelled at them, bullied them, and they were literally quaking in their shoes whenever she entered a room

And yet it was reported that their staff had a tearful farewell lunch with them after they announced their departure!

I have said before that until the bullying report is published, I will not believe such an obvious smear tactic.

It sounds more like watch out for the "angry black woman" to believe that Meghan's staff were more terrified of Meghan than Charles's staff were of him over the years.

And we know his temper is legendary, he couldn't even conceal it during the accession hoopla. I find it impossible to believe that staff in an institution in which the very unpleasant Andrew worked were "literally quaking" in their boots over Meghan. As a writer, I do hope you meant figuratively, not literally, because some, I am sure, would have been wearing shoes, not boots!

That aside, I find it impossible to believe that staff in an institution in which black people were for years confined to the kitchens, and one still not subject to race and sex discrimination legislation, cares enough about staff welfare that they announce the only one publicly announced bullying inquiry in its entire history and it just so happens to involve the only non-white member of the family who just so happens to be about to give an interview to Oprah. Because of course Meghan's behaviour is the very worst there has ever been in that inner circle of entitlement called the Royal family, since well, ever. Or at least since 1066.

I can believe that her staff found Meghan demanding and even irritating, anyone who sends emails at the crack of dawn and talks of hitting the group running and rising tides raising all ships and who writes in calligraphy is an A type personality of YIKES levels of frightening intensity, but until that bullying report comes out, I will believe that this is what it looks, feels and sells like to me a smear campaign to damage a reputation similar to ones we've seen before.It's Diana redux.

The timing, the anonymity, the burial of the report.

Na.

Try another broom. That one won't fly.

Am happy to still accept that apology though🙂

@MrsMaxDeWinter if I was a gambling person I would bet that the bullying report will soon find its way into the public domain .

Perhaps the tearful lunch were joyful tears, perhaps Harry finally put his hand in his pocket and paid.

I’ve worked with bosses, no-one minds demanding where there is respect on both sides, but no-one likes a bully demeaning them. Hi

its not a race issue, she just didn’t treat her staff very well

There was no bullying investigation when reports of Andrew shouting at staff over his teddy bears being placed wrongly were leaked to the press.
There was no bullying investigation when Charles was taken to an industrial tribunal over alleged racist bullying was reported.
Only an investigation was instigated when the Royal was a black woman.

I think the line was ‘she always had someone in her sights’ is the telling one.

Is Finding Freedom the book that Meghan collaborated on?

Meghan claimed not, but later insisted she'd "forgotten" about the messages sent which proved that in fact she did

There was no bullying investigation when Charles was taken to an industrial tribunal over alleged racist bullying was reported.

Just a couple of points about this - the person who brought that constructive dismissal case lost, and it wasn't Charles himself who was alleged to have bullied her. But even if she had won, and it had been Charles who was involved, it was more than 20 years ago. That's eight years before Harry was forced to apologise for racist remarks. So presumably enough time has passed to assume growth and allow redemption.

@hoooops Why do you assume redemption?
Some people who are racist 20 years ago remain racist.

Sorry maybe I wasn't clear enough - Harry was caught on tape making racist remarks and had to apologise for it. Many people claim growth and redemption for Harry on the basis of it being a long time ago. (Unless you think Harry is one of those racists who stayed racist.)

Surely the same should apply to Charles - if indeed Charles had been found to be racist, which he wasn't because he was never accused of it and the employee lost their case anyway.

@hoooops

i’m sure we can read all about his road to Damascus journey in his phenomenal book - (he did a course 🤣 but I’m sure the ghostwriter will make it sound far more exciting than that)

@MrsMaxDeWinter I can’t decide if it’s naivety or wilful ignorance because it suits a personal agenda that some people truly believe the accusations levelled against MM. If I was forced to offer a conclusion I would say it’s both. Fortunately, such opinions do not appear to influence the couple and their decisions. I suspect it’s this realisation that fuels the enrage – but makes them likeable to so many others. I advocate for an established MN reading group specifically for SPARE, where we can review its content chapter by chapter 😀

the book will make, the Coronation more interesting, anyway

I think an MN Book Club for 'Spare' is a great idea. I only really review books in my own academic genre and 'Spare' would be an interesting challenge.

I bet there will rich seams of analysis for the intertextuality boffins.

@AutumnsCrow and @Ladytreacle Please do post in the What We're Reading section - there are regular readalongs of books on there and I'm sure you wil get lots of interest.

@MrsMaxDeWinter This is the first I've heard of a tearful farewell meal! Can you please post a link?
It is on the other hand well known and verified that there was a huge turnover of M&H's staff because she was impossible to work for. Mt Low has evidence of bullying. He is an experienced and serious journalist. You can be sure he would not make such claims without having the evidence. MM's lawyers were all paused to sue him but they found nothing. So....

In 70 years there have been no accusations of racism against the royal family/Charles. Charles indeed founded the Prince's Trust, which has helped thousands of poor black youths to get on their feet.

The accusation of racism that came from MM is on very shaky ground. Just a family member speculating on what a child of a mixed race marriage might look like is NOT racism. This happens ALL the time. And to subtly link that accusation to Archie not getting a title was very sly. Very underhand. You make two unrelated statements questions about race, questions about titles so that people assume the one depends on the other. How sneaky.

And the Angry Black Woman thing -- that was just MMs excuse to the bullying accusations. "See? They're all racist! They call me a bully but I'm just strong and they are labelling me because I'm black ... waaaah!"

Thank you, that's really helpful.