The Writing Game

W.A. Harbinson, author of three books about Elvis, including the 1975 Number 1 bestseller, The Illustrated Elvis, has recently published his autobiography, The Writing Game: Recollections of an Occasional Bestselling Author.

The book is filled with colourful snapshots of editors, fellow authors and showbusiness celebrities, but its major interest to Elvis fans would be its stories relating to the research and production of Harbinson's books about Elvis.

His coverage of Elvis: An Illustrated Biography (1975: US title: The Illustrated Elvis) includes an entertaining account of his travelling to Las Vegas with the British Elvis Presley Fan Club in 1974 to watch Elvis perform on stage. Another story tells how his commission for Elvis (Colour Library Books, 1992) came unexpectedly by phone during an evening when he was desperately wondering how he could make some quick money to get himself and his family through an impoverished Christmas. A third story tells of his accidental meeting with the drop-dead gorgeous Debra Paget, Elvis's co-star in Love me Tender, during a research trip to Dallas, Texas, for his book Growing Up With the Memphis Flash (Tutti Frutti Productions, 1994).

Not a real 'Elvis' book, then, but certainly of interest to the more dedicated Elvis fans as well as those who may be aspiring writers.