William Boyd Remembers Nat Tate In The Guardian

The solid book we wrote cannot be found today…

Under the heading of: The greatest literary hoax ever? today’s Guardian carries an interview with William Boyd, author of Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928-1960.

The double-page spread from the G2 section of the newspaper kicks off with this: A French philosopher has been caught out by a literary prank. But it’s nothing on the tale of the forgotten artist Nat Tate.

I’m sure you all remember well the book and the hoax itself which David Bowie had a hand in when he provided this quotation for the inside cover of the dust jacket…

At the launch party for the book, (published by Bowie’s own 21 Publishing company) at Jeff Koons‘ studio in Manhattan on March 31st, 1998, (April 1st eve) Bowie read extracts from the book to a gathering of art world types, all too cool to admit they had never even heard of Nat Tate!

However, the British launch of the book was a damp squib by comparison, as David Lister, the then arts editor of the Independent who was also in on the hoax, apparently broke the story ahead of the British launch party for the book. Even though in his original unveiling in The Independent, and in his follow-up two days later, he hints that Boyd had pretty well held up his hands to the hoax long before the British launch.

Either way, you can read the full Boyd G2 interview here and you can also read his ten year celebration of the hoax in The Guardian here.

All I want to know is, where does it leave me with my copy of the book, above, actually signed by Tate using his trademark green ink and a quill? Offers anybody?