The Real Mystery about SJ Watson’s Before I Go To Sleep

Hardly a week goes by without SJ Watson receiving some new accolade for his Before I Go To Sleep.

Unusually it was selected for the competing book clubs, Richard & Judy and The TV Book Club. It was voted the second most popular Richard and Judy title.

Earlier this week the unabridged audiobook edition was shortlisted for a Crimefest 2012 award, and the day before that the book was selected for the longlist for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2012.

In addition, the book won the Crime Writer’s Association John Creasey Dagger in 2011; was selected for the longlist for the CWA Ian Fleming Dagger 2011; and was shortlisted for the Galaxy Thriller and Crime Novel of the Year 2011.

So what is the mystery?

The mystery is that no one in the UK has published this book in large print. It is available in the US published in a Harperluxe edition.

Harperluxe editions are better than nothing but they are not really large print, being printed in 14 point size and are aimed at “baby boomers”.

Booker Prize 2011

Congratulations to Julian Barnes for winning the Booker Prize last night for The Sense of an Ending.

Already Random House have announced a 75,000 copy reprint and if you are a member of the RNIB you can borrow the book in giant print, braille or audiobook.

However, you cannot read it in 'large print' (16 point) because no one has published a large print edition.

It stands to reason that of those who cannot read one of the 75,000 books currently being printed, more would be able to read large print than braille; more people need large print rather than giant print (24 point); people who can still read prefer reading to listening.

Why don't Random House do their own large print edition? In the USA Random House have a very good large print imprint.