No! Stop the applause and put the champagne away. It’s not me!
£10,000 is the amount Benjamin Disraeli received as an advance on his novel ‘Endymion’ published in 1880. I had no idea that Disraeli, one of our most famous prime ministers, had had a literary career. Endymion is described as a ‘romance’ by Wikipedia and is set against a political backdrop during the years 1819 to 1859.
Members of GoodReads have awarded it an average of 3.52 stars.
This wasn’t Disraeli’s first novel, that was ‘Vivian Grey’, which was heavily criticised but didn’t stop him writing. His output only slowed when he became an MP.
A thought to take away with you, according to Wikipedia, £10,000 in 1880 was equivalent to £1,257,376 in 2023! I can’t say whether this huge sum was because of his literary prowess or because he was an ex-prime minister.
(The plaque illustrating this post can be found at Hughenden Manor, a National Trust property in Buckinghamshire).
Sally Jenkins 
#1 by Sue Cook on May 13, 2025 - 7:32 am
A surprising number of politicians from this era were also novelists. Perhaps because they were eloquent, or maybe could simply write and afford paper???
#2 by Sally Jenkins on May 13, 2025 - 9:57 am
That’s a good point, Sue. Writing was definitely only an occupation for the educated upper classes back then.
#3 by Carl D'Agostino on May 13, 2025 - 11:57 am
Good Lord ! I’d be happy with a fifty dollar advance.
#4 by Sally Jenkins on May 13, 2025 - 1:22 pm
I think we’re all in the same boat, Carl!