Full-Court Press on Blair's Memoir

The rumors are flying about Tony Blair's courtship of a publisher for his memoir. The British press says Blair will hold meetings in early October to negotiate a deal, but I'm hearing the action has already begun behind the scenes. The former British prime minister has hired Robert Barnett, architect of Bill Clinton's $12 million memoir package, and is said to have been receiving publishers at the Carlyle Hotel in New York earlier this month. When I asked Barnett about that, he declined to comment.

Most speculation has the deal going either to Random House, which published Clinton's My Life through its Alfred A. Knopf division and will publish his new book, Giving next month, or to HarperCollins; according to one persistent rumor, Blair promised the book to HC owner Rupert Murdoch back in 2006. But Knopf isn't giving up: A source claims chairman Sonny Mehta flew to London last week in an effort to pin Blair down. Could we have a winner? Not quite: A spokesman for Knopf says Mehta travels to London every month or two and was there on a routine visit.

Photo: Jess Hurd/Report Digital/REA/Redux