Latest news with #HarperFiction
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
YouTuber MrBeast and author James Patterson team up for billion-dollar thriller novel dropping in 2026
What happens when YouTube's most generous billionaire and the world's most prolific thriller author decide to write a book together? Pure literary chaos, in the best way possible. MrBeast to make his debut as a publisher Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is making his publishing debut and he is not going solo. He is teaming up with none other than James Patterson, the man behind your mum's favourite mystery paperbacks and the brains behind the iconic Alex Cross series. The duo is all set to drop a high-octane, drama-drenched thriller in 2026 that is already sounding like the Hunger Games on steroids. MrBeast to make his debut as a publisher with writer James Patterson | Credit: X What is the novel going to be about? The untitled novel will feature 100 contestants entering a global competition where the prize is no less than $1 billion. Yes, billion with a 'B'. Expect high stakes, betrayal, and the kind of wild twists Patterson is famous for, but with a MrBeast-level spectacle. This publishing bombshell is being rolled out globally by HarperCollins in 15 languages. In the U.S., William Morrow will publish it, and HarperFiction is handling the U.K. release. The deal was cracked by bigwigs HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray and William Morrow Group President Liate Stehlik. James Patterson was repped by Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell, while Donaldson was backed by Byrd Leavell and Albert Lee. Who is MrBeast? For those somehow still living under a digital rock, MrBeast isn't just a YouTube megastar with record-breaking subscriber numbers. He runs Beast Games on Prime Video, owns snack company Feastables, and has given away millions through his philanthropic efforts. Think #TeamTrees and his nonprofit Beast Philanthropy, which has distributed over 20 million meals globally. MrBeast to make his debut as a publisher with writer James Patterson | Credit: X Meanwhile, Patterson, with over 400 million books sold, is no stranger to co-writing blockbusters with celebrities. He has previously written books with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, but this MrBeast collab might just be his wildest yet. While the book's title remains a mystery, the buzz is already boiling. A billion-dollar prize, a centurion cast, and two mega minds behind the pen? 2026 just got its first pre-order.
The Guardian
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Reeta Chakrabarti: ‘I love dancing in a really bad disco mum kind of way'
My parents came to the UK in 1960 from Calcutta, as it was then, in India. My father was a doctor. In Birmingham, I was often the only Indian girl in my class. There are ways that you're marked out in the playground. There was quite a lot of teasing. You had to navigate your way – you learn to be pleasing to people. That's how I coped. The UK in the 1970s was a harder place when it came to race. I was aware of the far-right, football hooliganism, racism on the streets. On occasion, somebody, usually a man, would scowl at me or make a face, unprovoked. I sort of understood – but sort of didn't. I absolutely loved Oxford University. It opened me up. I'm very fond of Birmingham, but it's not a place of beauty, and Oxford really is. There weren't many British-Asian students like me. That didn't stop me having a good time. There was prejudice from certain individuals, but it was more their problem than mine. When I started out in journalism I had more of a black-and-white view of things. Doing my job for so long has made me see the enormous complexity of everything. I've come to understand it's a very difficult world to understand. The advice I give to people? Say 'yes' to things in your career. Even if you're quaking with fear, put a bright, brave face on. You won't regret it. I don't like resentful people. I deliberately don't remember bad things people have said to me. If you harbour these things, you only do yourself harm. My husband, Paul, and I met at university. I think the secret to a happy marriage is each allowing the other person to be themselves and understanding that, as you grow older together, you're going to become different people. It sounds so easy – but it's really not. I love dancing in a really bad disco mum kind of way. That happens in the kitchen, when I'm cooking – which is not often, as my husband does most of it. I had appendicitis, dramatically, in the autumn of 2021. I was in Rome, passed out from the pain, and was rushed to hospital. I lay in A&E for a while and couldn't get anyone to help me – I don't speak Italian. I started to think, 'Oh well, I've made it to my late 50s and Rome isn't a bad place to go.' But they sorted me out. My greatest achievement? My three children. I've had a wonderful career. I'm about to publish a novel. But I don't put any of those things ahead of my family. I believe in lifelong learning and developing, and in not having regrets or itches that you wished you'd scratched. Writing a novel at this stage of my life has been good for me. Finding Belle by Reeta Chakrabarti is published by HarperFiction on 8 May at £16.99 or £15.29 at
