Meerkat Aleksandr Orlov a Hit In Russia - Simples!

comparethemeerkat Sensation Hits Russia as Translation Looms

LONDON, December 13, 2010 - The UK publishing sensation, A Simples Life by
comparethemeerkat.com (comparethemeerkat.com/) founder Aleksandr
Orlov, looks set to hit the bookstores of Moscow as Russian publishers battle
it out for the rights to a Russian translation.

The life story of the aristocratic Russian meerkat was
published in the UK in late October and has already reached number one in The
Sunday Times bestsellers chart, outselling all celebrity memoirs currently on
release, including: Cheryl Cole, Michael MacIntyre, Keith Richards, Stephen
Fry, Chris Evans and Katie Price. At launch, meerkat fans queued outside a
pop-up shop in Regent Street to buy signed copies and bookmakers have already
slashed the odds on it being the Christmas bestseller from 100/1 to just 7/1.

The launch of the book has attracted extensive TV and print
media interest in Russia. The recent exposure, along with warm feedback from
Russian expats living in the UK has now sparked interest among Russian
publishers.

"We were always confident that A Simples Life would be a big
Christmas seller in the UK," said Andrew Goodfellow of publishers Ebury. "But
it looks like it could be a Christmas hit in Russia as well. Three publishers
have shown serious interest in a Russian translation."

Tatyana Danilchenko, a Russian expat, said. "The idea of a
Russian meerkat seemed a bit strange at first. But he is very, very funny. A
Russian translation would mean that people back in Russia that don't speak
English could enjoy his humour too."

A Simples Life, My Life and Times, by Aleksandr Orlov tells
the story of his family from their humble but tasteful origins in the
Kalahari to the present day and the successful meerkat comparison business,
comparethemeerkat.com, which Aleksandr runs from the small village of
Meerkovo near Moscow. Aleksandr wrote his family history as part of his
ongoing efforts to stop people from visiting his site by mistake when looking
for car insurance quotes (www.comparethemarket.com/) at
www.comparethemarket.com.

A Simples Life is published by Ebury Press (RRP GBP9.99) and
available from www.amazon.co.uk and all leading book retailers.

Adrian Chitty at Good Relations, Tel: +44(0)207-861-3190, Email: AChitty at goodrelations.co.uk