Book publishers’ Darwin venture

Press, 22 October 1980, Page 23

Book publishers’ Darwin venture

A young New Zealand company will enjoy the most exciting moment of its short life in. London today. The Nova Pacifica Publishing Company, Ltd,, established in Wellington only 15 months ago, has produced what is probably New Zealand’s most, expensive publication. It is a three-volume, facsimile reprint of Charles Darwin’s “The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle,”pricea at $750. A special launching of the books is being held at New Zealand House in London, when the English naturalist, David Attenborough, whose “Life on Earth” series appeared! on television recently, will present a set of the books to the Ambassador from Ecuador. .The books will later be sent by the Ambassador to the Charles Darwin Institute in the Galapagos Islands, which are part of Ecuador. It was this archipelago in the Pacific Ocean that the young Darwin, aged 23, reached aboard the Beagle in the 1830 s. The study of the wildlife and, plants on these islands led Darwin to the development of his then revolutionary theory of evolution.

The presentation : to the institute represents an important recognition of the value of the young Nova Pacifica’s first project. The question that arises is why should a group of young businessmen — the average age of Nova’s five directors is 35 — launch their new publishing firm with a $750, 1096-page, three-volume re-pririt of one of Darwin’s lesser known works.

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They are clearly not aiming at the paperback market. The price tag and a limited world edition of 750 copies rules that out. The project, in fact, highlights the rather unique .nature of Nova Pacifica. The company is different in several ways from the traditional New Zealand publisher. It is not interested in publishing' fiction, but aims to produce original works on topics in the life sciences field. It is not fostering homegrown literary, talent, but intends to commission noted overseas scholars to produce works to be used by scientific and educational institutions. The crucial difference is

NICK HIRST

that Nova is publishing for the export market. Its managing director, Mr Roger Chapman, and a fellow director, Mr Ray Labone, are travelling extensively overseas promoting the Darwin books and drumming up business for future projects, They were among a party from New Zealand who were the first publishers from this country to visit the Antiquarian Book

Fair in New York recently. Others in the party, organised in conjunction with the New Zealand Book Publishers Association, were Mr Murray Humphreys, of A. H. and A. W. Reed, and the Masterton publisher, Mr Alistair Taylor. From the United States, Messrs Chapman and Labone flew to Europe where they attended the London and Frankfurt book fairs. They are now in London preparing for today’s presentation. With all this extensive and expensive promotional work, Nova Pacifica must believe that the Beagle Zoology is a saleable product Is it, and if so why? To start with the original edition of Darwin’s “The Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle” is very rare. It first appeared in London in the form of 19 numbers issued between February, 1838, and October, 1843. The original publishers. Smith, Elder, and Company, ’ produced the work in two forms — in five individually bound parts and as a three-volume set

Only a very small number of these .originals

were printed. The exact figure is not known, but it appears to have been less than 100. Only 19 original copies are now to be found, in libraries in the United States.

Nova’s facsimile re-print was reproduced from the only three-volume set of the original in New Zealand. It is owned by the Wellington branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Copies of the original have fetched up to $9OOO on their infrequent appearances on the antiquarian book market. Apparently there is a demand, too, for the New Zealand re-print. Nova Pacifica have received orders from research and educational institutes from such diverse places as Costa Rica, Kuwait, Colombia, Sweden, Austria and Belgium. The company says that these institutes are eager to pay $750 for an English-lang-uage publication.

With this publication, all of Darwin’s writings are now available. His first work, the narrative of the Beagle’s voyage, has never been out of print since it was first published in 1839. -The same applies to hs most famous “Origin of Species” which came out in 1859.

As well as the high scientific interest in the work, the company is clearly aware of the books’ other great asset, as an investment. Its brochure describes it as a “sumptuously produced masterpiece of quality book production.”

The volume has been printed in Japan, on heavyweight paper with an antique finish. The 82 colour and 83 black and white plates — the original lithographs are regarded as works of art — are reproduced on quality art paper. The books are bound in leather-