Evan Andrew on 'Catton-gate' and Harper Lee's latest.

While our lovely hot summer rolls on, I am about to take a break and head away to the Coromandel for a few weeks' holiday. As I write this, there has been plenty of media  news recently regarding authors and their books, or perhaps books and their authors.
Catton-gate is still raging as I write, with letters to the editor, journalists and radio talk-back hosts all having their opinion on the media frenzy of what she said, or how it has been interpreted, with everyone from fellow authors, book judges, and politicians all wading into the fray.
Sadly, it appears to come across as petulance that she wasn't awarded NZ's top prize, whatever that was, or may mean as far as the general public is concerned. For her book sales are still climbing, and a reprint is happening.  Lucky girl!

Meanwhile, there is all the brou-ha over the announcement of frail, reclusive, eighty-eight year old Harper Lee's newly found second book, 'Go Set A Watchman.'

This has all the ingredients for what will become another book, Hollywood film, TV show, stage play, and so on, which I am quite sure will happen.
Is it really her book, or a plant, or just an unedited manuscript?
How could Harpers, (her publishers,) have ever lost a second book, by their best selling author? This is of course a publicist's dream, and whatever happens, the book when released will make someone a fortune. The whole world will follow this with interest. Did she, or didn't she?That is the question.
The chances are, we may never know the true answer.

 

Evan G Andrew