N.Z. author’s new book might become a film

Press, 28 October 1981, Page 6

N.Z. author’s new book might become a film

An English film director, Bryan Forbes, is reported to be “enthusiastic” about the latest book of New Zealand author, Fiona Kidman. “Mandarin Summer” arrived on Christchurch bookshelves only a week ago, but already a New Zealand promoter, Mr Stewart Macpherson, has brought it to the attention of overseas interests who want to turn it into a film.

It is certainly a change for Mrs Kidman, who was so dissatisfied with her first novel that she would not let it be published, after it had been accepted for publication.

“Although I have never thought of myself as basically anything else than an author, I was 27 before I wrote my first novel,” said Mrs Kidman.

“I had that starry-eyed feeling that I was going to race through life and get everything. That included children and a great novel before I was 28.”

The first part worked out, but the “great novel” took a little longer than expected. Mrs Kidman decided to withdraw her first novel from publication “because it was a book that I thought I would not be happy with in 10 years time.” - It was 10 years before she started to work on her second novel.

"I woke up one day and looked at myself and said, ‘l’m going to write this novel.’ I don’t know why that day — probably it was after a hard night,” she said.

Mrs Kidman wrote the first 75,000 words of what was to become “A Breed of Women,” and then threw her work in the rubbish. She continued, however, rewrote the introduction, and ended with a best-seller.

“Mandarin Summer” did not come so easily. It is based loosely on Fiona Kidman, her childhood, and the people who were in it, and is set in Kerikeri.

“It is about how I became aware of a class system that I was outside of,” she said. Mrs Kidman’s next work is a collection of short stories, which will be i closely followed by a novel about a "religious zealot”.who settled in New Zealand.

“After that, I will, continue to write about those .things I, know best; and. (at! the moment what L know about best is New Zealand,” She said.