Largest ever deal signed for Sir Peter Blake books

Penguin Books (N.Z.) Limited
News release
14 August 2003
for immediate release

Largest ever publishing deal signed for Sir Peter Blake books.

Penguin Books New Zealand has completed its biggest ever two-book publishing deal for The Last Great Adventure of Sir Peter Blake, and the Biography of Sir Peter Blake, in a just-signed contract.

Both books are fully endorsed by Pippa, Lady Blake and Sir Peter’s company blakexpeditions.

Business partner and long-time personal friend of Sir Peter, Alan Sefton is the editor of The Last Great Adventure of Sir Peter Blake and author of Sir Peter’s biography. Alan was chief executive of Team New Zealand during the successful 1995 challenge and the 2000 America’s Cup defence. He has previously written three best selling books.

“Penguin is very excited to have bought these two major books. They’ll be among the most important books that we have ever published. And in Alan Sefton we have the perfect author. He knows everything about Sir Peter and his life,” says Penguin NZ Publishing Director, Geoff Walker.

The Last Great Adventure of Sir Peter Blake will be published in November 2003 and will be a large format full-colour book featuring photographs and edited logbooks from the Seamaster’s final voyage from New Zealand to Antarctica and up the Amazon and Negro rivers.

The Biography will be an intimate account spanning Sir Peter’s entire life and career. It will be published in late 2004.

“The biography will contain much previously unpublished material, including what happened to Sir Peter’s relationship with the Cousteau family and his reactions to the private agendas that developed in Team New Zealand 2000,” says Geoff Walker.

Rights for the Blake biography have already been sold to Penguin Australia and Penguin UK. There has been significant interest from a number of US publishers. Both foreign language and US rights are expected to be sold at the Frankfurt Book Fair in early October.

Copy ends

© Scoop Media