Irish Publishing News

Penguin Ireland has this morning published The Fitzpatrick Tapes – a series of interviews with the former head of Anglo Irish Bank Sean Fitzpatrick.

Although booksellers were alerted to an impending publication on Friday, they were not told what the title was about and copies were only sent to bookstores this morning, Sunday 9 January.

The book is billed on the cover as ‘the rise and fall of one man, one bank and one country’ and is written by Sunday Times’ journalists Tom Lyons and Brian Carey.

Penguin Ireland has been working with the authors on the title since spring 2010, according to Penguin Ireland MD, Michael McLoughlin. Lyons conducted 17 formal taped interviews with Fitzpatrick over the course of 2010.

McLoughlin said that Fitzpatrick ‘didn’t and won’t get a cent’ from Penguin Ireland for his interviews.

The Penguin MD would not disclose the figure for the title’s print run, though he did say the company had been ‘robust’ with printing.

In an indication of the title’s importance, McLoughlin tweeted last night: ‘Unusually busy work day tomorrow. For the reason why, pick up the Sunday Times. I’ll keep you posted from 9am or so.’

Bookstores around Dublin and along the M50 corridor should have copies for sale today and stores further afield will have copies by tomorrow according to McLoughlin who, along with his staff and colleagues at Penguin Ireland, were distributing books and media information to bookstores and journalists today.

The book is priced at €18.99. An ebook version of the title will be published in three weeks.