N.Z. novelist likened to Alistair Maclean

Press, 4 August 1977, Page 6

N.Z. novelist likened to Alistair Maclean

John Bruce, a New Zealand author, promises to be "the most successful new fiction writer since Alistair Maclean made his debut 22 years ago with ‘H.M.S. Ulysses’,’’ says the chairman of Collins publishers.

Mr W. J. Collins said Bruce's book, “Air Scream,” about a mid-air collision over Wellington, was “the most' exciting discovery of a first book” since “H.M.S. Ulysses.” Mr Collins sold the rights for an American hardback edition for $U5125,000 at the American Booksellers’ Convention in April. The 356-page book will be published on September 19. Mr Bruce, aged 39, migrated from Britain to Wellington in 1975 because, as a barrister, he did not like the taxation, and said: “When minority groups can dictate to a democracy, democracy

is in danger.” He thought “It might be nice to write a book,” about his brother-in-law's occupation — an air controller. He started work in February, and finished in May. The manuscript ran to

200,000 words. He sent it to Collins, in Auckland, cut 60,000 words from it at the publisher’s request, and had it accepted.

Mr Collins arrived in Christchurch yesterday as part of a seven-day visit to New Zealand to meet the company’s 70 employees, authors, and booksellers.

Although he had not yet seen completely new manuscripts, he was looking at other books in the process of being published, including three children’s books. He said they had “a good promise of sale” in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom as well as New Zealand. This is Mr Collins’ third visit to New Zealand, although it is his first as chairman. In 1948, he came here as a young man of 18 with his father, the late Sir William Collins. He made a short visit in 1964. Mr Collins is the sixth generation to succeed to the chairmanship of the family firm, which last year published 800 titles? He joined the firm, after an education at Eton and Oxford, as a natural result of growing up with the business, and meet-

ing authors who spent weekends with his family — writers such as Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Hammond Innes, and Alistair Maclean. “Publishing seemed an exciting and fascinating world,” he said.

Mr Collins said an exciting local venture would be the publication next March of reproductions of Raymond Ching’s paintings. A limited edition of 250 copies at a cost of about $5OO each would be published, and a standard edition would retail at about $lOO.

The publishing industry was in a period of expansion — to some extent because of the influence of television, films, and radio, Mr Collins said. He quoted the popularity of the televisionadvertised paperback, “Audrey Rose,” the Poldark novels, and Paddington Bear stories.

Collins is now moving into the electronic entertainment scene, signing an agreement with E.M.I. last month. The contract gives ejch company first option if either wishes to reproduce a Collins publication in a disc or cassette form that can be fed into television sets.