Learn Chinese - Austen scam exposes publishers' pride and prejudice

ENTERTAINMENT / Theater & Arts






Austen scam exposes publishers' pride and prejudice

(AFP)
Updated: 2007-07-20 16:42





"The Rice Portait of Jane Austen" by British painter Ozias Humphry is on
display
at Christie's auction house in New York in April 2007. [AFP]

A string of publishers failed to spot blatant plagiarism of one of
English literature's most famous authors, in a cheeky test to see if she
would have secured a book deal today, a report said Thursday.

David Lassman, head of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, sent manuscripts
to 18 editors seeking a publishing contract, using only slightly
disguised versions of chapters from the iconic novelist's most famous
works.

But only one publisher spotted the fakes, which included perhaps the most
famous line in all English literature, the opening sentence of her 1813
work "Pride and Prejudice".

"I was staggered. Here is one of the greatest writers that has lived,
with her oeuvre securely fixed in the canon and yet only one recipient
recognised them as Austen's work," Lassman told The Guardian newspaper.

Making only minor changes, he sent off sample chapters from three of her
best known books: "Northanger Abbey"; "Persuasion", and finally "Pride
and Prejudice" which he renamed "First Impressions".

For the latter, he made no changes to the opening line: "It is a truth
universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good
fortune must be in want of a wife."

But all he got was a series of rejection slips, including from major
publishing houses.

"Thank you for your recent letter and chapters from your book 'First
Impressions'. It seems like a really original and interesting read,"
wrote Penguin. Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling's agents Christopher
Little said they were "not confident" of being able to place the work.

The only editor to spot the ruse was apparently Alex Bowler of Jonathan
Cape.

"Thank-you for sending us the first two chapters of 'First Impressions';
my first impression on reading these were ones of disbelief and mild
annoyance, along, of course, with a moment's laughter," he wrote back.

"I suggest you reach for your copy of 'Pride and Prejudice', which I'd
guess lives in close proximity to your typewriter, and make sure that
your opening pages don't too closely mimic that book's opening."

The publishing houses scrambled to explain their failure to spot what are
some of the well-known passages in the English literary canon.

"Our letter was a polite note declining representation and provided a
standard response," said a spokesman for Christopher Little cited by The
Guardian.

"Our internal notes did recognise similarities with existing published
works and indeed there were even discussions about possible plagiarism."

A spokeswoman for Penguin noted that its rejection letter had said only
that it "seemed" original and interesting. "It would not have been read,"
she insisted.
























Top Entertaiment News




� Lohan surrenders to police in May crash

� 'The Sopranos' gets 15 Emmy nominations

� Filming begins on Tom Cruise movie

� Brangelina top list of pricey photos

� Oprah Winfrey is richest female celeb





Today's Top News




� Hu urges global effort to resolve Darfur issue

� N.Korea talks end without deadline

� Economy grows at blistering pace

� Community plan eases prison pressure

� Nuke talks hit snag, extended by a day





Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours








Learn Chinese online, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet