QUILLBLOG

Lit Idol?

In what appears to be a reality-TV first, Britain’s ITV has announced an American Idol-style series for wannabe authors. As Reality TV Magazine explains, Publish My Book! is the brainchild of agent and author Tony Cowell, the older brother of American Idol‘s Simon Cowell, and it will air in the U.K. this summer.

Publish My Book! will see aspiring writers pitch their ideas to a panel of publishing experts in a bid to win a publishing deal. Cowell will present the program and plans to sell the idea to U.S. networks.

Not addressed in the article is the question of who will make up the panel of experts. Maybe Ian McEwan could be the disgusted-with-himself Simon Cowell figure, and instead of scowling at dippy Paula Abdul, he could scowl at dippy Paulo Coelho:

COELHO: [absent-mindedly stroking his face with a white feather] Your writing is so warm, Lisa, so beautiful. Reading your pitch brought me closer to the soul of the world…

McEWAN: Paulo, luv, have you been sniffing sweetener again?