Neil Gaiman | JK Rowling didn't rip me off, we stole from the same people

Forgotten?

During his talk on Saturday Neil Gaiman made a reference to a graphic novel of his I'd never heard of: The Books of Magic.
He made a joke about it. "People said JK Rowling stole off me. Of course she didn't. We were just stealing off the same people."
Or words to that effect.
The cover of the book is striking. What the heck is Harry Potter doing on a flying skateboard, and why is Hedwig grey?
The superficial overlap with Harry and Hogwarts is extraordinary. And I wondered how on earth I didn't already know that Gaiman, hardly an unknown writer, indeed, probably the best known fantasy writer in the UK right now, had written such a book, albeit as long ago as 1993.
Gaiman solved the mystery himself, to a degree. He explained that The Books of Magic were published by DC comics who sold the adaptation rights to Warners Bros, who in turn produced a brilliant first draft of the script. But it was just about this time that Harry Potter took off.
And remember, Harry Potter wasn't just another successful kids book: it was a phenomenon. Children, adults, dogs were queueing round blocks to get copies, to hear Rowling speak. Shops went mad about Harry Potter with supermarkets often giving hardbacks away for as little as £3.99, just so they could have a piece of the Harry action. And of course Warners won an extremely competitive bidding process to make the blockbusting movies.
Which have made a billion or so since.
Gaiman's graphic novel, in a parallel universe, might have had us all talking and dreaming about magic. As it was it was swamped by Rowling's juggernaut. Fair play her.
As for the film adaptation: Warners wanted to make the film, but it needed to be different to Harry Potter. So they messed about with the script so much that DC and Gaiman said, no thanks, please don't make this now. As for the book, it has been in limbo. But with Harry's adventures now finished, surely, surely it's time for a revival.

Neil Gaiman | Edinburgh 'fringe' event | Sequel promised to American Gods

A pre talk cup of tea, our new copy of American Gods, Neil in full flow...

As it celebrates its tenth anniversary, Neil Gaiman admitted last night that he is working on a sequel to his cult hit, American Gods.

He said that the story was coming together and that he was likely to start writing it soon.

Gaiman, author of American Gods, Coraline, The Sandman series, Stardust and countless other novels was speaking at a 'fringe' appearance in Edinburgh. He'd already been at the official Edinburgh International Book Festival: but this was an extra gig organised by the Edinburgh Book Shop. There's a nice blog about the event here, from one of the people involved.

About a hundred Gaiman fans - and many of them really were fans, who came toting huge anniversary boxed set editions of The Sandman - gathered in The Crypt, below St John's Church on the corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road. This would have been a great choice of venue even if it wasn't a vegetarian cafe (Neil is a famous veggie). Food was served during an interval: almost all of which was gloriously edible. If this is a precedent for book events then it is a good one.

Gaiman was charming. He started with a glorious short story from Smoke and Mirrors, the opening tale about  a pensioner finding the Holy Grail in her local Oxfam shop (and buying it for 40 pence). It's a lovely, slow burning tale: funny and poignant. Classic Gaiman.

The chit chat ranged the expected areas. We heard about his bees freezing to death in the Minnesota winter. We heard about Dr Who - don't hold your breath for a second Gaiman episode, the one he did seemed to dominate 18 months and I doubt the BBC could afford to pay him for a second one. Incidentally - and this is BIZARRE - he suggested to the BBC that he write a novelisation of the episode based on material that didn't make the final cut. And the BBC said NO! Unbelievable. Apparently it jarred with their current novelisation policy ( I ask you?) Memo to the Beeb, this was Neil Gaiman: the answer is yes.

Gaiman's wide ranging interst - horror, graphic novels, scie fi, myth - were obvious. They are the root of what is becoming a very broad appeal. Sure, there are the comic fanboys in the audience (few men wore a shirt with a collar, I noticed: it was Dr Who T-shirt central). But he also appeals to children and to people like me, who simply love a well told story.

Looking forward to American Gods II, Neil. But don't be too quick, I haven't actually read the first one yet.

Neil Gaiman | Books | Competitive reading: it's not what novels you've read that count, but how many

It's the dark not so secret truth at the heart of ever book obsessed individual. It's why so many of us are resisting e-books - at least in part. Because it isn't what you've read that really counts, it is how many, how thick they were, and the fact you have them piled up around the house.

The book group was comparing and contrasting the other day and three members discovered to their delight that I had not yet read American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I've read four of his books, but not that one. It's on my to do list, but it is a big book and big books take time so I've not tackled it yet.

But there was a certain glee in the fact that neither I or another group member had got round to it yet. This was one-upmanship at its most raw. A notch on the bedpost we couldn't claim but they could.

Reading is a deeply personal, solitary affair. You have to lock yourself away either mentally or physically in order to consume a book and you do so at your own pace and bringing your own life experiences to it. Films and television are completely different experiences.

And yet the communal aspect of reading the same book as someone else is extremely important. We are compelled to share in what we are reading, which is why book groups, reading lists and the Top 100s are so vitally important. Humans are social animals and we like to know what each other is doing and thinking. This I think explains why some books take off: why suddenly everyone wants to share in the experience of reading a Larsson, Rowling or a Brown. And why some readers generate an extraordinary loyalty to one or more authors, without whom they can not imagine functioning.