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Alan Coren publication goes ahead

24.10.07 Graeme Neill

JR Books will go ahead with the publication of Alan Coren's final book, 69 to 1, on 31st October, following the humourist's death last week. Coren's first humour collection for five years, 69 to 1 features his unique and quirky take on diverse subjects such as J K Rowling, the NHS and comedians Cannon and Ball. JR Books publisher Jeremy Robson knew Coren, who died of cancer last Friday aged 69, from the early 1960s. He said: "He was quite extraordinary to work with. He was a dazzling conversationalist and a perfectionist worker. He had a way of looking at things that was just different. He could make anything funny."

Robson said that the publisher had plans to reprint some of Coren's classic collections of prose "in due course". "I want to look at that with his family," he said. "But it's too early and sensitive to talk about what titles we will be looking at."

Coren was the author of more than 30 books, including Golfing for Cats, and it is believed the rights to his titles reverted back to him when they went out of print. Anova Books, which published Coren's work under its Robson Books imprint, said that it was "too early to speak about plans" for republishing any material out of respect for his family.

Coren is best known for his role as a writer and eventual editor of Punch for around 20 years until the late 1980s. He was also a regular panellist on the BBC television show "Call My Bluff" and radio show "The News Quiz".

Book Graeme Neill Alan Coren

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