Frankfurt Diary

John Grisham has a new novel out: The Partner. But there are rumours here that a new Grisham is waiting in the wings. The literary agent Darley Anderson is working hard to shape the career of "the Grisham of medical thrillers". Mr Anderson challenged Paul Carson, a 46-year-old Dublin doctor specialising in childhood asthma and allergy, to write a medical thriller. Mr Carson subsequently wrote Scalpel and Mr Anderson is now selling the rights. Louise Moore of Heinemann won the UK and Commonwealth rights for pounds 44,000.

It's a must-have for anyone mystified by what young people today are most interested in. "Son of Disco", Alon Shulman's Style Bible warns: "No longer a counter-culture movement, today's youth culture is now the movement ... their style becomes everyone's style to one degree or another". His book, to be published by Methuen next autumn contains 1,000 definitions, from hip-hop to posh totty.

They have been round the world and now they are getting into rock. The Rough Guide to Rock is an up-to-date and positive guide to 1,056 bands. "It`s not written by your average music hack who's been there, done that," said Richard Trillo, associate director.