Agent Suggests World News Phone Scandal Splashes Book World

Influential literary agent Andrew “The Jackal” Wylie has suggested that the phone-hacking scandal currently gutting aspects of the United Kingdom’s print media might have ties to the book world. From The Bookseller:

Agent Andrew Wylie has accused HarperCollins of acting in an “unusually shrill and punitive” way toward authors, claiming the controversy surrounding parent company News Corp. should lead to the publisher being examined more closely.

Wylie made the claims in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s “The World at One” today (Monday). In response, HC described Wylie’s claims as “extravagant” and lacking in detail. A spokesperson said: “The more mundane truth is that HarperCollins have had differences of opinion on business matters with Mr. Wylie in recent times.”