Houses of Stone - noted NZ publisher pens novel

David Bateman had a distinguished career as a publisher, both with William Collins and then later on his own account as David Bateman Ltd. He was also the founding President of the Book Publishers Association of New Zealand (now PANZ), a role he performed with great distinction.
Then in retirement he surprised many of us by writing a novel. Publishers often turn their hand to memoir in their retirement but I cannot recall another publisher who elected to write fiction.Sadly David died before he saw his book in print.
David did me the honour of letting me read and comment on an early draft and I am so glad to now see the book published.
I am off on holiday shortly and am taking the book with me to read while away but meantime here is the publisher's catalogue blurb which gives an idea of the story:


"From the Battle of the Atlantic and the blitzed rubble of London to strife-torn Zimbabwe, Houses of Stone is a sweeping and dramatic tale of love and war set in the last sixty turbulent years of the twentieth century.

Following the adventures, trials, achievements and passions of two generations of the Howard family, the novel begins in Second World War Britain, where young naval officer Philip Howard meets his future wife, Catherine. They go on to experience the challenges of life in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising and in Rhodesia as it stumbles to become independent Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile other members of the family enter into the cut-and-thrust of the publishing world as they build a trans-Atlantic multimedia empire. Houses of Stone is a compelling story that takes its readers from the quiet beauty of rural Britain to the grandeur of the African landscape".

More about the author:

David Bateman was born close to Plymouth Hoe within the sound and smell of the sea, an environment he loved. After national service in the army took him to Kenya and Egypt, he turned to book publishing, working in sales for the grand old Scottish family firm of William Collins Sons and Company Limited. After training in Glasgow, they sent him to Johannesburg and later to Southern Rhodesia where he opened a branch for the company and travelled widely in Southern, Central and East Africa for ten years. There, he and his wife Janet – an ex magazine editor – raised four children before he was promoted to sales manager for Collins in London.

After four years in London he accepted the post of Managing Director of Collins in New Zealand. Twelve years later, David, along with his wife, started his own publishing and distribution company, David Bateman Ltd. In his mid-seventies, he handed over to his son and son-in-law the daily running of the successful family business and, indulging his boyhood dreams, he set to novel writing. The result, after years of writing and rewriting, and working with well-known book editor Anna Rogers, is Houses of Stone. Sadly, David died only days after handing over his book to the publisher.

And here is a tribute to David from PANZ