Author Facts

American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis tried to order cocaine from his dealer but, instead of texting him, he accidentally tweeted it to his 350k followers.

Critic Michael Crowley gave such a poor review of author Michael Crichton's novel 'State of Fear' that, in his next book 'Next,' Crichton created a character named 'Mick Crowley' who was a child molester with a small penis.

Author Ian McEwan helped his son write his A-level English exam about one of his own novels, Enduring Love. The teacher disagreed with his interpretation.

Iceland publishes more books per capita than any other country in the world, with about 1,500 new titles annually for a population of just 380,000. The tradition of 'Jólabókaflóð' (the Christmas Book Flood) sees most books published in the months before Christmas.

Beatrix Potter wrote Peter Rabbit as a get-well letter. A boy she knew was sick in bed. She sent the story to cheer him up. She named the rabbit after her own pet, Peter Piper, whom she had sketched for years. The letter became a book in 1902. It has sold an estimated 40 million copies since.