We’re joining in the Sex and the City fever this week as the original cable TV series commemorates its 20th anniversary. From favorite on-screen looks to The Atlantic’s Kim Cattrall profile “Long Live Samantha Jones,” to discussions of what Carrie’s apartment would look like today, pop culture is celebrating its love for the (now massive) media franchise that took an honest look at New York City in the 90s.

In a Wednesday New York Times article, Grove Atlantic Publisher Morgan Entrekin and Associate Publisher Judy Hottensen discussed the night they signed a contract—over drinks at the Bowery Bar—for Candace Bushnell’s book, Sex and the City.

Here’s Entrekin’s take on the moment:

“…We were sitting at a table and I said, ‘Candace, those columns are very clever. Are you going to write enough of them to make a book?’ She said, ‘If you give me a contract, I will.’”

Hottensen adds:

“Candace was her usual irreverent self. She never minced words, never shied away from asking for what she wanted. All of a sudden, Morgan turned to me: ‘Judy, should I make Candace an offer?’ I said, ‘Yes. It would be fantastic.’”

Click here to read the full New York Times article It’s an It Girl! The Birth of ‘Sex and the City’.

Residence in Manhattan is certainly not required to love the Sex and the City TV series, or the book it was based on. Check out this collection of international editions of Bushnell’s classic we pulled from the shelves of our office.

From L to R the languages in these editions are Croatian, Polish, Arabic, Portuguese, and Complex Chinese (native to Taiwan). #SATC is truly a worldwide phenomenon!

Tune in to NPR’s All Things Considered on Friday 6/8 (5:00 PM EST for WNYC listeners; others, check your local station) for an interview with Candace Bushnell. We’ll certainly be listening. In the meantime, we leave you with this Bushnell quote, courtesy of the above New York Times article:

“I was 35 . . . I put everything in my life on the line so that I can publish a book and somehow make it. You know, that’s the thing about ‘Sex and the City.’ It’s written by somebody who is desperate for a roof over their head, really.”

Our edition of Sex and the City is available here as an ebook!