HE may have missed his chance to strut the world stage but, in one respect at least, Mark Latham looks likely to go one up on former US president Bill Clinton.

Booksellers are predicting The Latham Diaries, which go on sale today, could outsell Mr Clinton’s mammoth autobiography, My Life, in Australia.

The blanket coverage of revelations from Mr Latham’s diaries has led to such interest from the book-buying public that its publishers have decided to bring forward its release by two days, creating a logistical nightmare for Melbourne University Press.

“It is very difficult,” said chief executive Louise Adler. “We are dealing with the geographical expanse that is Australia.”

Ms Adler said booksellers believed the 450-page tome could sell as well as My Life, which broke publishing records in the US for a non-fiction book.

“The publicity is unprecedented for a political book in Australia,” she said.

Ms Adler said Mr Latham was “thrilled to bits” with the response to the book. “We’re all delighted. I think it’s been a terrific response.”

Duncan Johnston, chief executive of Collins Booksellers Group, a franchise of 33 stores, said the company was expecting good sales in city stores but not in country areas. “About 20 of our stores are in large regional towns and a lot of them are saying `Mark who?”‘ he said. “Whereas in the city, we already have quite a few orders and we expect a lot more to come in the door. The booksellers are rapt in the media attention. Keep it going — it might be the only way his book sells.”

Booksellers Association president Derik Dryden was concerned too many details had come out in the media and people would feel no need to buy the book. “When Loner, Latham’s biography, was released it took off with a huge rush and died a week later,” Mr Dryden said.

“I’m worried, with all the interviews and everything. Do people feel they have all the dirt and there’s no need to read the book? … I wonder how it can sustain sales.”

Bookshops are reporting healthy numbers of orders. But not everyone is keen to buy what one Melbourne customer called “that Latham vitriol”. “All the crap I’ve heard coming out of that ingrate’s mouth in the past week has been more than enough for me,” said Roger Manning. “I’ve got better things to spend my money on.”