In this week’s Telegraph, Mark Sanderson opens his literary life column with a rather snarky bit about Lionel Shriver and her latest novel, THE POST-BIRTHDAY WORLD. “HarperCollins must be regretting their decision to fork out 500,000 pounds to Shriver,” Sanderson writes, pointing out that the novel has sold a mere 2,500 copies in the UK – “That works out to 100 pounds for each book.” Except that Sanderson misstates his facts just a bit. That hefty advance? It was for World English rights, which also includes the US sale to HarperCollins – where THE POST-BIRTHDAY WORLD was a New York Times bestseller for several weeks. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily translate into mondo sales, but with the paperback due out next year in both territories, it’s safe to say that HarperCollins US and UK aren’t quaking in their boots over the conclusion of this 2-book deal as well as the next one Shriver inked in early April.