Award-winning author and alleged paedophile Craig Silvey secretly signed a million-dollar book deal before his arrest and will get to keep a $300,000 advance, according to multiple sources.
Silvey, who is on bail after being charged with child exploitation offences, is one of the country’s best-selling – and highest-earning – novelists.
The 43-year-old Western Australian has been one of publishing giant Allen & Unwin’s brightest stars but recently negotiated a huge new contract with rival Simon & Schuster.
Industry heavyweight Jane Palyfreyman, who was Silvey’s longtime publisher at Allen & Unwin, moved to Simon & Schuster almost two years ago and the pair subsequently resumed their collaboration.
Simon & Schuster had counted on Silvey repeating some of the commercial and critical success of his best-known works – Jasper Jones, Runt and Honeybee.
Daily Mail understands Simon & Schuster agreed last year to pay Silvey between $900,000 and $1million to produce two novels which now might not be written.
Several publishing sources said Silvey had already been given a whopping $300,000 advance which they believed he would not be required to return.
The deal has received no publicity until now and Simon & Schuster did not respond to requests for comment about its existence.
Award-winning author and alleged paedophile Craig Silvey (above) secretly signed a million-dollar book deal before his arrest and will get to keep a $300,000 advance, according to multiple sources
Silvey, who is on bail after being charged with child exploitation offences, is one of Australia’s best-selling – and highest-earning – novelists. He is pictured with wife Clare Testoni
Those in the industry who were aware of the contract were surprised by its size, and suggested Simon & Schuster paid a premium to attract Silvey from Allen & Unwin.
Standard book contracts include a clause which provides for renegotiating an advance if an author does something to harm their reputation or that of the publisher.
The same condition applies if an author does something to reduce the market value of their proposed book.
One contract seen by Daily Mail also includes a clause which requires an author to have no legal restriction on their ability to promote their work.
An industry veteran said that in reality, publishers were generally not prepared to spend time and money taking legal action to recover an advance from an author in Silvey’s position.
‘In my experience, it would be unusual,’ that source said.
‘They will normally just write it off because it’s not worth the fight. There is no appetite to recoup the advance, even at [Silvey’s $300,000] level.’
Silvey has not been convicted of any crime and the case against him is in its infancy.
Daily Mail understands Simon & Schuster agreed last year to pay Silvey (above) between $900,000 and $1million to produce two novels which now might not be written
According to court documents, Silvey chatted with paedophiles on adult sites using the alias ‘Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy’, telling them he was a ‘Fremantle guy’ with ‘very similar interests’
Simon & Schuster did not respond to requests for comment about whether Silvey had a ‘reputational’ clause in his contract or whether it would seek to have his advance repaid.
The publishing world was rocked two months ago when Silvey was first charged with possessing and distributing child exploitation material between January 7 and 9.
Earlier this month, he was further accused of producing child exploitation material from February to June 2022 and hit with an additional count of possessing such material.
According to court documents, the father-of-three chatted with paedophiles on adult sites using the alias ‘Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy’, telling them he was a ‘Fremantle guy’ with ‘very similar interests’.
Police allege Silvey was communicating with child exploitation offenders online when they raided his Fremantle home on January 12.
He faced Fremantle Magistrate’s Court the following day and was granted bail with both a $100,000 surety and a $100,000 personal undertaking.
Silvey’s release was delayed because he was initially unable to post the $100,000 personal undertaking or provide the $100,000 surety.
A source said it was known within the publishing world that Silvey, whose brother Bret was jailed last May for 12 years over a $70million fraud, had been in financial difficulty.
Daily Mail revealed last week that Silvey’s marriage had unravelled, with his wife Clare Testoni (above) leaving the family home and moving the former couple’s children to Sydney
Silvey’s most popular work, the 2009 coming-of-age novel Jasper Jones, is considered a modern Australian classic and has sold more than half a million copies.
His 2022 novel Runt sold more than 150,000 copies, was named the 2023 Children’s Book Council of Australia book of the year and like Jasper Jones, was turned into a movie.
A sequel to Runt, called Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping, was released in September, while a stage adaptation of the original book slated to open in August this year has been postponed indefinitely.
An illustrated third installment in the Runt series, which follows the adventures of a girl and her adopted stray dog, was to be published by Allen & Unwin in November.
Allen & Unwin announced after Silvey was charged it would ‘pause promotional activity’ of Silvey’s books, including Jasper Jones, Runt and Honeybee, ‘while the legal process takes its course’.
‘We acknowledge this is an active police matter, and that Mr Silvey is entitled to procedural fairness and a presumption of innocence until the matter is dealt with by a court,’ Allen & Unwin said at the time.
‘The nature of the allegations is deeply distressing. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all survivors of child exploitation and their families.’
Book sellers including Dymock’s have pulled Silvey’s works from their shelves and his novels have been removed from high school curriculums.
Several publishing sources said Silvey had already been given a whopping $300,000 advance which they believed he would not be required to return. He is pictured on bail
Daily Mail revealed last week that Silvey’s marriage had unravelled, with his wife Clare Testoni leaving the family home and moving the former couple’s children to Sydney.
Silvey’s bail conditions include a requirement he not leave Western Australia or engage in any work involving children.
His internet access was also restricted to legal advice, banking and medical purposes.
Silvey wanted to delete social media accounts such as his Instagram page after visitors posted derogatory remarks.
Days after his arrest, Silvey’s lawyer applied to have his bail varied so he could access his phone.
He last faced Fremantle Magistrates Court on March 16 when he did not enter pleas to any of the charges and his case was adjourned until May.
Silvey won the Australian Book Industry’s Book of the Year Award for Jasper Jones, which was selected by the American Library Association on its Best Fiction for Young Adults list for 2012.
The novel has been produced for the stage numerous times and was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and International Dublin Literary Award.
