The woman who gave Joan Lingard a break

Julia MacRae may not be a household name but, 40 years ago, when she was working for the book publishers Penguin, a writer friend passed on a manuscript for her to read. It was by a young Belfast born writer called Joan Lingard who was feeling a bit fed up after her novel had been given the run around by other publishers. The novel she was looking at was called "The Twelfth Day of July", the beginning of the Kevin and Sadie love story. 

Before Julia read it other publishers had rejected it. It was 1970 and something written about the Troubles was, according to Julia", "not only controversial"...it wouldn't sell".

She says she just saw a great story. Forty years later the book she published and the 4 subsequent ones have never been out of print. She knew her stuff.