Archive for December, 2008

12th OCTOBER 2009 – 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

Published
by
foaly
on December 18, 2008
in Events and hitchhikers guide to the galaxy
. 4 Comments

As previously announced, Penguin is to publish And Another Thing, the 6th novel in the ever-more increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, by international bestselling children’s writer, Eoin Colfer. Publication has been set for Monday 12th October 09, which is also the 30th anniversary of publication of the first book in the late Douglas Adams’ phenomenally successful series.

 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy started life as a radio series in 1978 and subsequently became five best-selling novels, the first being published in paperback by Pan Books on 12th October 1979. It was an instant hit, reaching number one in the bestseller charts two weeks after publication and went on to be translated into over 35 languages. By 2000 it had sold over 14 million copies worldwide. It was also remade as a Bafta-winning TV series, dramatized for the West End stage and made in to a film starring Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, John Malkowich and many more.
 

Simultaneous global publication of And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer will take place on the 30th anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. So far rights have been sold to Hyperion in the US and to other prominent publishers in Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

 

Alex Clarke, Editorial Director, Penguin UK, said ‘I have been talking to Eoin, who tells us he is busy working out just how it is he is going to bring back Arthur, Ford and Trillian from the dead. We are all hugely looking forward to the publishing event of 2009.’

 

Since the announcement that Eoin Colfer is to continue the Hitchhiker series Artemis Fowl and Hitchhiker fan forums have been buzzing with a mixture of eager anticipation and consternation. Troublerocks on eoincolfer.com says, ‘I love Hitchhiker’s. I’m glad Eoin is doing it. It’s nice to know a great author we know will continue the GttG books.’ Scratch on the Douglas Adams Continuum forum says, ‘Surely this can’t be? Sounds ghastly . . . This whole affair makes me feel like my underpants are made out of wood’ while Duke of Dunstable says, ‘I suppose I am appalledly interested.’

 

Notes:

 

Eoin Colfer and Simon Jones, the original voice of Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series, can be heard talking about publication of And Another Thing at www.penguin.co.uk/eoincolfer and www.penguin.co.uk/simonjones.