APW/8/DIC2 - Dick and Dodo's Book of Pets
Reference code
APW/8/DIC2
Level of description
File
Title
Dick and Dodo's Book of Pets
Date/s
1984-1985
Quantity & Format
46 items
Scope and content
- Printed Christmas card showing Dick and Myrle at Diamond’s Cottage, Queen Charlton.
DKS describes his attempt at a book of pets based on the television slot Dick and Dodo. “I wanted – a modicum of information on each species in a reasonably light-hearted way. As Dodo is a kind of coauthor, I thought it sensible to choose individual animals to represent each kind, and have given each a bit of doggerel” 20/2/84.
The manuscript is submitted to Joanna Goldsworthy (Gollancz) along with a contract for HARRY’S MAD. The illustrator Jill Bennett is suggested.
DICK AND DODO’S BOOK OF PETS is also submitted to Puffin.
DKS nags about the slow progress being made by Joanna Goldsworthy (27/4/84).
DKS was working with Walker Books on works created as spin-offs from the Dick and Dodo television slot.
DKS asks Gollancz to return CHEWING THE CUD to AP Watt. He did not wish to re-work it again and asked that it be offered elsewhere, 1/6/84.
Yorkshire Television makes a sale to Singapore of their Book Tower version of THE MOUSE BUTCHER, 7/6/84.
Chris Kloet (Gollancz) seeks reassurance that the TV-am programme featuring DKS would be longrunning. The success of the books would be reliant on the running of the television programme (letters, 7/6/84 & 8/6/84). DKS questions this need for reassurance and thinks the new book would have no connection to the programme and be titled DKS’s BOOK OF PETS, or suchlike (letter, 9/6/84).
Liz Attenborough (Puffin) makes an offer for DICK AND DODO’S BOOK OF PETS. She provides details of editorial changes “I would prefer to see something structured along the lines of more animals … no verse, then a personal piece about such an animal known to Dick … then actual pet care details”, 13/8/84.
DKS explains that DICK AND DODO’S BOOK OF PETS is a working title only. He is willing to re-write the book for Liz Attenborough but asks whether Rub-a-Dub-Tub is an intrinsic part of the book’s possible appeal and whether characters from the television programme should be included. DKS proposes to write a pilot chapter selecting one beast. Anne Wood had left TV-am but was hopeful that Rub-a-Dub-Tub still had a future elsewhere. DKS’s weekly appearances were all now repeats (15/8/84).
PT writes of the Observer Teenage Fiction Award evening where Malcolm Bradbury made a controversial and scathing speech on how bad most teenage fiction was and how he abhorred the categorisation. Royalty details are provided for THE MOUSE BUTCHER, MAGNUS POWERMOUSE and THE QUEEN’S NOSE. Difficulties had been experienced in finding US publishers for HARRY’S MAD and SADDLEBOTTOM, letter PT to DKS, 19/11/84.
Later correspondence in this file refers to the book as being titled DICK’S DOZEN.
Other titles referred to in this file: THE QUEEN’S NOSE, THE SHEEP-PIG, HARRY’S MAD, THE MOUSE BUTCHER, MAGNUS POWERMOUSE, and SADDLEBOTTOM.
DKS describes his attempt at a book of pets based on the television slot Dick and Dodo. “I wanted – a modicum of information on each species in a reasonably light-hearted way. As Dodo is a kind of coauthor, I thought it sensible to choose individual animals to represent each kind, and have given each a bit of doggerel” 20/2/84.
The manuscript is submitted to Joanna Goldsworthy (Gollancz) along with a contract for HARRY’S MAD. The illustrator Jill Bennett is suggested.
DICK AND DODO’S BOOK OF PETS is also submitted to Puffin.
DKS nags about the slow progress being made by Joanna Goldsworthy (27/4/84).
DKS was working with Walker Books on works created as spin-offs from the Dick and Dodo television slot.
DKS asks Gollancz to return CHEWING THE CUD to AP Watt. He did not wish to re-work it again and asked that it be offered elsewhere, 1/6/84.
Yorkshire Television makes a sale to Singapore of their Book Tower version of THE MOUSE BUTCHER, 7/6/84.
Chris Kloet (Gollancz) seeks reassurance that the TV-am programme featuring DKS would be longrunning. The success of the books would be reliant on the running of the television programme (letters, 7/6/84 & 8/6/84). DKS questions this need for reassurance and thinks the new book would have no connection to the programme and be titled DKS’s BOOK OF PETS, or suchlike (letter, 9/6/84).
Liz Attenborough (Puffin) makes an offer for DICK AND DODO’S BOOK OF PETS. She provides details of editorial changes “I would prefer to see something structured along the lines of more animals … no verse, then a personal piece about such an animal known to Dick … then actual pet care details”, 13/8/84.
DKS explains that DICK AND DODO’S BOOK OF PETS is a working title only. He is willing to re-write the book for Liz Attenborough but asks whether Rub-a-Dub-Tub is an intrinsic part of the book’s possible appeal and whether characters from the television programme should be included. DKS proposes to write a pilot chapter selecting one beast. Anne Wood had left TV-am but was hopeful that Rub-a-Dub-Tub still had a future elsewhere. DKS’s weekly appearances were all now repeats (15/8/84).
PT writes of the Observer Teenage Fiction Award evening where Malcolm Bradbury made a controversial and scathing speech on how bad most teenage fiction was and how he abhorred the categorisation. Royalty details are provided for THE MOUSE BUTCHER, MAGNUS POWERMOUSE and THE QUEEN’S NOSE. Difficulties had been experienced in finding US publishers for HARRY’S MAD and SADDLEBOTTOM, letter PT to DKS, 19/11/84.
Later correspondence in this file refers to the book as being titled DICK’S DOZEN.
Other titles referred to in this file: THE QUEEN’S NOSE, THE SHEEP-PIG, HARRY’S MAD, THE MOUSE BUTCHER, MAGNUS POWERMOUSE, and SADDLEBOTTOM.
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APW - AP Watt Archive
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APW/8 - Dick King-Smith
- APW/8/DIC2 - Dick and Dodo's Book of Pets
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APW/8 - Dick King-Smith