Hillier, One-Nil
This must qualify as one of the best pranks ever. From CNN:LONDON, England (AP) -- A British writer was duped into printing a fake love letter in his latest biography -- complete with a coded four-letter insult aimed at him.
Biographer A.N. Wilson thought he had new evidence that English poet John Betjeman, who publicly lamented his dull sex life, had a previously unknown extramarital affair.
Wilson included the letter, said to be from the poet to his mistress, in his book "Betjeman," published this month.
He failed to notice that the first letter of each sentence in one section of the letter spells out "A.N. Wilson is a s---."
I assume that "s---" is "shit."
And, to some degree, Wilson apparently is a bit of a shit. Here's more:
The newspaper suggested that rival Betjeman biographer Bevis Hillier might have been responsible, reporting that the envelope came from a stationer in Winchester, the southern English town where Hillier lives. Hillier denied involvement, but told the paper he thinks Wilson is "despicable."
In a 2002 book review, Wilson said Hillier's biography of Betjeman was a "hopeless mishmash of a book."
It may have been a hopeless mishmash, true, but at least it didn't include imaginary love letters insulting the author.
Scoreboard for Hillier.
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