Craig Munro began his blue-pencil adventures at the University of Queensland Press in 1971. Over the next thirty years, he became friend, counsellor, and occasionally foil to some of the country’s leading authors.

From a champagne-fuelled telegram to Patrick White to a run-in with Xavier Herbert, Craig’s editorial life was punctuated by encounters with remarkable writers. Championing the early works of Peter Carey, right up to the Booker–winning True History of the Kelly Gang, Craig also edited David Malouf’s first novel, Johnno. He was teased by Murray Bail’s tantalising mind games, discovered a passion for Olga Masters’ fiction, and helped create UQP’s acclaimed Indigenous list.

Blending book history with memoir, Under Cover explores the invisible art of editing from an insider’s perspective. Told with warmth and humour, it is a wise, entertaining tour of three audacious, intoxicating, and ultimately inspiring decades of publishing mayhem.

PRAISE FOR CRAIG MUNRO

‘[A] relaxed, engaging memoir about being the man with the blue pencil, which should open the eyes of people interested in the publishing business and entertain anyone who picks it up … A charming breeze of a book … [Munro] has a born raconteur's ear for anecdote.’ The Sunday Age

‘[The early 70s to the late 90s] was a fascinating time in Australia's cultural history, and Munro's account is a warm and engrossing one. If you have the slightest interest in writing and publishing you'll love this book — just as I did.’ Readings