LOCAL author Guy Wilson has brought out a new book which explores the cultural clash between art and business.

Most of Steve and the Intellectuals takes place in a crumbling French chteau and the book takes an ironic tilt at the frictions that emerge between bankruptcy accountant Steve and the collection of artists and intellectuals.

Steve's young wife Jubilee, with her thirst for culture, acts as the catalyst that reconciles the two sides.

This is the third book to be both written and published by the Little Hatherden-based author, but the way book retailing is going at the moment it may well be his last large scale project.

He had 10 novels brought out by a publisher before changes in attitude made it more and more difficult for literary novels like his to get into print. So he started publishing his own work - now amounting to two novels and one collection of short stories.

"But it's been made more difficult now by Waterstone's decision to use a distributor, which means that they won't buy direct from small publishers any more," said Mr Wilson.

"So while I may be able to publish on a small scale, I'm not sure that I will be able to publish on a large scale again. The past has been good, but the future doesn't look very good." Mr Guy was brought up in Devon and educated at Marlborough College, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

After a period in the Royal Marine Commandos followed by teaching, he decided to become a novelist.

He and his wife, Angela, set off to Spain on a motorbike, spending three years in that country, two in Algeria, three in Italy and one in Paris. They supplemented literary income by starting and running English language schools.

They then found themselves in charge of Padworth, the international sixth-form college for girls, which they ran for 12 years.