EXCITING NEW FICTION
Penguin New Zealand have three titles that they are particularly pleased to be publishing later in the year and to generate excitement among booksellers they have published a 110 page book with excerpts from all three books. The book has been distributed to the trade.
The three titles are:
ACCESS ROAD - Maurice Gee - $37 - October
BANQUO'S SON - T.K.Roxborogh - $37 - October
THE TROWENNA SEA - Witi Ihimaera - $37 - November

this was my response:
I didn't know Penguin were doing this. What an absolute honour for me to be connected with such giants of literature.

The first NZ book I read as a child (not counting school journals) was Witi's 'Whanau' (my step-brother was given it as a school prize). I think I was 10 or 11. It had a huge impact on me.

Someone asked me once which author would be most like to be like and I said Maurice Gee. From Under the mountain (my 6th form year)to the Plumb Trilogy (uni days), I have just about every novel published by him.

I see Bookman, that I will share something else with Witi - people unfortunately spelling our last names incorrectly.

Reading your announcement has made my day.