‘A Week In Winter’, the posthumous novel of Irish author Maeve Binchy, who dies in July aged 72, will be published this November.
Originally scheduled for publication on October 11th, this was cancelled after Binchy’s death last month.
Bookshops are placing huge orders for what is expected to be the biggest seller this Christmas.
John Gannon, manager of Chapters, the biggest bookstore in Dublin, told the Irish Independent that he expected it to have massive sales.
“Our second-hand stock of Maeve Binchy is completely sold out and we’ve seen a very big rise in sales of her backlist since she died. I have tripled our order for her last book and we expect it to be the biggest seller by far this Christmas.”
Stephen Boylan, book purchasing manager for Easons nationwide, said that it had a “substantial order” in place.
“We’re expecting it to be one of our biggest titles this Christmas,” he said.
Binchy, who had sold more than 40 million copies and had her books translated into 37 languages, had been working with editors on the final draft of her book ‘A Week In Winter’ in the period leading up to her death.
The story is said to be classic Binchy, full of her trademark humour and droll observation. The 464-page book is a series of inter-linked stories which build into a cumulative picture of the different characters and add up to be a great read.
The story is set in a fictional west coast of Ireland village called Stoneybridge, with an eclectic group of guests staying in a hotel during the winter break, some of them who don’t want to be there.
There is a couple hiding a terrible secret; a cheerful nurse; a man who has arrived after missing a flight at Shannon; an eccentric woman who claims to be a psychic; and a silent older woman who disapproves of everything.
Orion publishing director Susan Lamb said the book was “absolutely terrific, it’s vintage Maeve, showing again what a brilliant observer she was, full of empathy but never sentimental”.
Binchy’s agent Christine Green said; “Although Maeve’s health had been giving her problems for some time, her writing was completely unaffected and ‘A Week in Winter’ is Maeve writing at the top of her game. We have lost a wonderful storyteller.”
The late author’s husband, children’s writer Gordon Snell, has been consulted about the publication of her final work of fiction. The novel has the dedication; “To Gordon, who makes life great every single day”.
In the past few days, Mr Snell cleared the book for publication.
The late Maeve Binchy lived in Dalkey all her life.
