'Derek Philpott' talks to Julie Hamill about his/their book Dear Mr Popstar. Humorous letters to pop stars about their songs with genuine witty replies from The Stars. For nearly 10 years, the father and son comprising ‘Team Philpott’ have been on a quite bonkers crusade, writing good old-fashioned letters to pop and rock stars , either picking up on genuine ambiguities within their lyrics or often deliberately misunderstanding them for comedic effect.

The artists quite unexpectedly started to reply, writing back in just as witty and articulate a fashion, politely pointing out exactly where the original letter went wrong...or right.

‘Dear Mr. Popstar’’ features 100 of the best letters and responses from famous and legendary names spanning the whole pop and rock spectrum, all relishing their involvement and revealing their own, in many cases, hitherto unknown humorous sides within what could well be the most interactive dialogue compiled between music stars and their audience ever undertaken. 

On a balmy Camden Town evening in October 2018 (this is part 1 in a RNR Book Club series with Part 2 being that featuring Elvis Costello bass legend Bruce Thomas) Team Philpott  hooked up with us for a seriously entertaining Q and A also featuring contributions from such stellar correspondents as Rupert Hine, Will Birch, Owen Paul and The Ruts. Hear it and weep with joy. Write On Baby.