Monday, December 08, 2008

Author joins Rowling's cafe society
Steven Morris writing in The Guardian, Monday December 8 2008

A woman who took a leaf out of JK Rowling's book by writing her first novel as she sat with her child in a coffee shop is selling hundreds of thousands of copies around the world and being courted by Hollywood.

Marina Fiorato worked at cafes in bookshops so she could make sure that her novel, The Glassblower of Murano, which is partly set in 17th-century Venice, was historically accurate by constantly checking reference books.
When it was finished, the book was initially rejected by every publisher Fiorato sent it to in the UK, but became a hit in Germany, where it has sold 150,000 copies.

British publisher Beautiful Books then took it on and it has sold 40,000 copies in the UK. Fiorato, 36, is now in talks with film producers. She may not have Rowling's millions yet, but she said yesterday: "I went through some very difficult times and lots of people told me to forget writing the book, that it was a pipe dream.
"I can't believe how it's taken off, especially considering just about everyone initially turned it down."
The full story here.

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