Kate Middleton's sister Pippa has parted company with her literary agent after her debut book received a lukewarm response from the public. Pippa's entertaining guide Celebrate: A Year of British Festivities For Families and Friends was released amid great expectations in October last year, with the debutante reportedly receiving a £400,000 advance from publisher Michael Joseph.
But it seems fans will have to wait for Pippa's sophomore effort. Her agent David Godwin confirmed they will no longer be working together, saying: "I am very sorry it has happened, but yes, it is true: I no longer represent Pippa and I wish her every good luck." As a new author, Pippa, 29, was keenly aware of the mixed reviews her book was receiving. But she proved herself a good sport in a guest column for The Spectator, which she wrote as a response to her critics. In it, Pippa recognised her party planning tome had been called out for featuring basic advice in places. "I have been much teased for my book," she admitted. "Lots of journalists are saying that my advice is glaringly obvious. A spoof Twitter account called @pippatips offers such pearls as 'enjoy a glass of water by getting a clean glass and pouring in water from a tap or bottle'."She also joked she would write a bestseller next and call it Bottoms Up, in reference to the fuss caused by her derriere at the royal wedding.
Parting with David Godwin will give Pippa time to focus on her other interests. She recently became the new columnist for British supermarket chain Waitrose. And the brunette also runs her own online magazine called The Party Times, inspired by the Middleton family business, Party Pieces.
Pippa's love life is also going well. She and financier beau Nico Jackson, 35, are going from strength to strength and were recently spotted enjoying a romantic stroll in the Swiss Alps. Nico's mother Ulrike has met Pippa and said: "I have to say she is absolutely charming. But that's it, I really cannot say any more. We're all just very pleased."