Provided he can remember it all (Mick Jagger could not, and was obliged to return a £1 million advance to Lord Weidenfeld), there's an interesting story to tell and the Bromley boy will have the chance to correct the "factions" of his earlier life. He may also explain his 1974 "praise" for Hitler ("one of the first rock stars") and the 1976 gesture widely interpreted as a Nazi salute. *Once again, the little guys can take a bow. Sort of Books, whose debut title (Chris Stewart's Driving Over Lemons) was such a success, is now on the shortlist for the Aventis science book prize with its second, Robert Kunzig's Mapping the Deep a (sort of) layperson's guide to oceanography. Also this week came the shortlist for the Samuel Johnson Prize, with chairman of the judges Andrew Marr taking a break from BBC election duties to proclaim non-fiction in general and science in particular as the new rock'n'roll. What a shame, then, that for the second year running the Aventis award the "Booker" of PopSci will be announced on the same evening (12 June) as the Sam Johnson, so dimming some of the much-needed limelight for science literature.
The Johnson prize date was fixed first.*Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, set a new record for a literary manuscript this week, paying $2.2m for the 120-foot "scroll" on which Jack Kerouac typed the original draft of On the Road. The previous record was $1.5m for C?ne's Journey to the End of the Night. Irsay may send the manuscript on tour in 2007, the 50th anniversary of publication.*A Hungarian, humourist George Mikes wrote, is someone who enters a revolving door behind you and comes out of it ahead. Learn the secret of Magyar magic at a festival of Hungarian writing and film at the Barbican Centre in London from 4 to 17 June.
Events include a talk by director Istv?Sz? with a screening of his Colonel Redl, Hungarian poetry with Janet Suzman and Georg Szirtes, and Paul Bailey in conversation with the acclaimed novelist Peter N?s. Details from: www.hungary .uk; box office: 020 7638 8891.The 25th anniversary of Agatha Christie's death is to be marked next month by a re-promotion of her novels in a modern livery. Out goes the art deco look that appealed to would-be Miss Marples (the sleuth herself will become plain Marple, in line with other feisty female 'tecs); and in come atmospheric photos, with all titles featuring a facsimile of the Dame's signature which is now copyrighted by the Christie estate. When HarperCollins renegotiated the contracts, Chorion, which owns Agatha Christie Ltd, insisted the author be treated as "a brand". The strategy is a global one and, in Germany, a re-translation programme is underway. In France, Christie currently sells ten times better then in Britain.
