Charting Contemporary Fiction’s Keepers
The BBC have reported on Oxfam’s chart for authors whose novels are among the most donated to charity shops. It turns out that above Grisham, Rankin and Steele, one is far more likely to unearth a Dan Brown on an Oxfam shop’s shelves than any other novelist.
On the upside, Oxfam note that Brown is also the most purchased author. Yet this doesn’t compensate for the fact that ultimately, Brown is just not a keeper. His books might sell well, but are more than likely going to get the elbow at some point.
Meanwhile, Katie Price tops the bestsellers list for fiction this week with another of her ghost-written glamour-fests, and we know she isn’t a keeper either-for a variety of reasons.
It would be much more interesting if it were possible to trace the books least likely to end up in a charity shop. Who are the authors one covets, collects and can’t let go of. With the rise of book clubs and Oprah/Richard and Judy’s homogenisation of the domestic bookshelf, are there still more than a handful of author’s we are not afraid to commit to?