 First edition | |
| Author | Wilbur Smith |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
Publication date | 1972 |
| Publication place | South Africa |
The Sunbird is a 1972 novel by Wilbur Smith about an archeological dig. The novel depicts a search for a Phoenician city in modern Botswana.[1][2]
The novel was a favourite of Smith's, who claimed it was heavily influenced by H. Rider Haggard.[3] Smith:
It was a very important book for me in my development as a writer because at that stage I was starting to become enchanted by the lure of Hollywood. There had been some movies made of my books and I thought "whoa, what a way to go… All that money!" and I thought "hold on – am I a scriptwriter or am I a real writer?" Writing a book that could never be filmed was my declaration of independence. I made it so diffuse, with different ages and brought characters back as different entities. It was a complex book, it gave me a great deal of pleasure but that was the inspiration – to break free.[4]
- ^ The Sunbird at Wilbur Smith's page
- ^ "The Ruins in Zimbabwe". The Canberra Times. 3 March 1973. p. 11. Retrieved 5 December 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Interview with Wilbur Smith accessed 14 March 2013
- ^ "Wilbur Smith answers your questions". BBC News. 6 April 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2013.