5 Legendary Literary Hoaxes

Authenticity means a lot and having a book or author revealed as a fake makes for an angry public. Being caught out by a fictional autobiography, or learning the author themselves is a work of fiction, somehow burns a bit more for the reading public. In some cases, it spells the end of an author’s career. In other cases, however, literary hoaxes boost sales and turn what might have been a forgettable title into one that makes headlines.

Naked Came the Stranger

During the 1960s, America was in a state of turmoil and change. The decade was marked by wars, cultural shifts in morals, the civil rights movement, the rise of feminism and the assassination of a President. It stood in stark contrast to the ‘simple times’ of the 1950s and the idea that things were better ‘back in the good old days’ or that ‘we’ve lost our moral compass’ resonated with many.

Journalist Mike McGrady was a prize-winning journalist working with Newsday and decided to see just how debased Americans had really become. He firmly believed that even a book with “zero literary value” could become a bestseller if it featured enough lurid details about sex and drugs. He recruited help from fellow…