Bidding War Erupts Over Rights to Mandela Book

Posted on October 14, 2009

Publishers are in a bidding war over the rights to publish a book based on the archives of Nelson Mandela. The archive is a treasure trove of letters, diaries, journals speeches and other writings compiled over a lifetime. The archive was donated by Mandela to his foundation, which is a remarkable thing. The archive will be distilled into a book and everyone wants to publish it.

Mandela himself, who bestowed these "traces of my life and those who have lived it with me" on his eponymous foundation, hopes the collection will afford the world a glimpse into his mind and his past. "Anyone who has explored the world of archives will know that it is a treasure house, one that is full of surprises, crossing paths, dead ends, painful reminders and unanswered questions," he said.
Jonny Geller, an agent at the Curtis Brown literary agency and the man entrusted with handling the book's worldwide rights, described the collection on offer as an "utterly remarkable" resource. "I've never heard of a living political leader giving up their entire archive," he said as he waited for his plane to Frankfurt. "I can't think of any other political leader who has opened up their archive without any censorship.
"There's everything from political scribblings to letters to his wife. It's an incredible archive, which will not only have political and historical insights, but which will also provide an emotional insight into the man too. It will give a portrait of the man and his life."

The book is sure to be a bestseller; we can't wait to read it.