James Patterson is an outsider in the literary world. The author recently admitted at the US National Book Awards ceremony that he feels “uncomfortable” in a room full of novelists, lecturers and literary critics.
“I am the elephant in the room, the Big Mac at (elite restaurant Harry) Cipriani,” Patterson said.
Shortly before saying that, Patterson had received a lifetime achievement award for his books and his commitment to libraries. It was one of the few public appearances by the 68-year-old, who was visibly nervous when he took the podium in a suit, red tie and reading glasses to say thank you — with his wife Susan and son Jack in the audience.
Patterson’s name is certainly not as well-known among the chattering classes as those of Philip Roth, Stephen King, Dan Brown, John Grisham or Paul Auster. But he tops all of those writers in one important category — absolute book sales.
The author has written dozens of books, mostly detective novels and thrillers for both adults and children. His books have sold more than 300 million copies and a number of them have been made into films.
The National Book Foundation listed Patterson as the world’s top-selling author, and he holds the Guinness World Record for having had more New York Times’ best-sellers than any other writer. In US book shops, a bookcase is often reserved just for Patterson books.
Many literary critics categorise Patterson’s works disparagingly as cheap literature, and the author has not received many writing awards. But his books have made him rich.
Forbes magazine estimated his earnings at 89 million dollars (84 million euros) for this year alone. That puts him up there in a list of 2015 top earners along with stars like actor Robert Downey Jr. and singer Taylor Swift.
Other authors don’t even show up in the list. So Patterson is playing in a league of his own.
The author, who lives with his family in chic Palm Beach, Florida, comes from a poor family in the small town of Newburgh, north of New York City. It’s been a long way from there to the renowned National Book Awards, as he described in his acceptance speech.
“Newburgh was a tough town. My father grew up in a poor house. My grandmother cleaned toilets and kitchens,” he said.
Patterson, however, did well in school and ended up studying English literature and then took a job in advertising.
“That was because I got rejected for a job as a taxi driver. My hair was too long and everyone thought I was a Communist,” Patterson said.
On the side, Patterson began to write detective stories. But his first novel was turned down by 31 publishers. “I keep a list of all the publishers that turned down my first novel,” he said.
In 1976, Patterson published his first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, a mystery which won him the Edgar Allen Poe Award for the best first novel.
Patterson has since perfected his writing into what amounts almost to a detective-novel factory. He publishes numerous books each year, all of them with the help of co-authors who finish writing his drafts.
But Patterson told the National Book Awards audience that he still enjoys the work after writing so many books.
“My grandfather delivered frozen food. He took me along once a week and he always told me if you are a truck driver or the president of the United States, in the morning when you go over the hill to work you have got to be singing.
“And I do.” —DPA