In Praise of Celebrity Authors

 

                                                                Picture Credit: Author's own 

Not a headline I thought I’d ever write. Apologies if you've just choked on your cornflakes or sprayed your laptop with hot coffee. I know, and I'm with you. 

Whenever I’m at the supermarket, my eyes get drawn to the selection of books their buyers choose to stock. I don’t know why I do this, because I’ve never bought a book there; I prefer to support bookshops. More than that, though, I’m always irritated by the relentless increase of celebrity authors. I’m not referring to those who have become famous by selling a ton of books, but to celebrities from other fields who suddenly ‘discover’ a hidden talent for casually knocking out best sellers in their spare time. I don’t know which of these books have been ghostwritten without credit, but it’s no secret that among them are those who penned no more than their names on the publishing contracts. Apologies to all the celebrity authors reading this who I’ve just offended. Send me the proof that you’re the real deal, and I’ll happily publish a correction excluding you from my scurrilous generalisation.

I expect this trend will only continue to grow, but other than irritating me whilst I gather my groceries, it makes no difference to me. The fact is, celebrity sells, business is business, and it can only be good for those making a living from ghostwriting.

Earlier this month, I had the chance to go to a book launch. I’ve never been to one before, but as launches go, I’m sure it was bigger than most. A combination of The Greatest Story Ever Told and a celebrity author drew the crowds on a tropically hot night in central London.

If you haven’t heard about this new book, it’s billed as “the incredible true story about a Galilean stonemason who changed the course of history forever. Told through the firsthand accounts of those who knew him best, this real-life journey will stay with you long after the final page.” At the end of the launch evening, the author predicted it would reach the Sunday Times bestseller list in its first week of publication. A bold statement, but the action man himself was right. It's now at number one. What do you think... would the story of Jesus have hit the bestseller list without the aid of a celebrity?

For absolute clarity, I don’t know how this book got written and what the balance was between Bear Grylls and all the others behind the scenes. What I do know is that Bear spoke with engaging honesty about his faith and motivation for writing the book. The only ambition was to get people reading about Jesus in an accessible way. His co-author was present at the launch too, but gets no mention on the cover, and he seemed fine with that. Maybe that’s because this book isn’t about ego or recognition. Neither is it about the bank account of the celebrity who’s been fronting the media interviews since publication day. It’s unashamedly about the business of ‘selling’ the good news of Jesus, and at this moment, it’s in the hands of many people across the globe because of a celebrity name on the cover. That’s okay with me. Wouldn’t it be great to see this in supermarkets everywhere?