Ray and Barbara Richards (image courtesy NZ Listener; David White)
Ann Mallinson:
I first met Ray in the 1970s, when he was President of the New Zealand Book Publishers Association (the forerunner of BPANZ) and I was Secretary. We were involved at the time with a government inquiry into the printing and publishing industries. Ray of course handled the matter, and my role was insignificant.
My memory of it is of Ray’s masterly performance at the Inquiry, where he persuaded the government that printing and publishing were two separate industries, and publishers must be allowed to print their books wherever they chose. It was an important inquiry – for New Zealand publishers to have lost the ability to print books overseas would have had a drastic effect on the publishing of local authors. This issue has never to my knowledge been raised publicly again.
Ray has dominated the publishing industry for over 50 years, and he will be greatly missed.
Ray of course loved the industry, and he and Barbara paid a great compliment to publishers when last October they came down to Wellington for our Life Members dinner. Ray was in great form – he always seemed ageless – and it was a memorable evening, for him, he told me, as well as for us.
New Zealand publishing is truly lucky to have had his support over all these years.
Ann Mallinson, PANZ Life Member
Geoff Walker:
Ray leaves a huge legacy. I worked with him when I was a young-ish editor at AH and AW Reed, and I’d describe him as the man who essentially “invented” New Zealand publishing as we know it. In the 1960s and 70s, Ray and his team began publishing a wide range of books that had never been published here before. The painter Peter McIntyre and “good keen man” Barry Crump were two early authors, along with the first tourist colour books, natural history, High Country life, sport, general history, rugby tour books and even railway books.
It’s not stretching things too much to say that Ray and Reed basically invented the commercial publishing culture that exists today. No one had ever published books in these quantities in New Zealand before. These were New Zealand books, by our writers, for us – and we bought them in their thousands. It was the flowering of a genuinely indigenous publishing industry, led by Ray Richards. And they sold – the minimum print run was 5000 copies. Ray’s genius was to combine this creative drive with sharp, sound commercial judgement and an unfailing editorial eye. He was also a brilliant editor.
Geoff Walker, Geoff Walker Books
A service to celebrate Ray’s life will be held at the Naval Memorial Chapel of St Christopher, HMNZS Philomel, Devonport Naval Base, Queens Parade, Devonport on Friday 5 July at 1.00pm followed by private cremation. Please note: ID is required for access to the Base. Parking facilities are limited, so please consider alternative transport if appropriate.
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