Red Shift

The novel was written and marketed for children, but some critics questioned that. It was adapted by Garner and the BBC as a television film, broadcast 1978-01-17, "screened at peak viewing time with no mention of the fact that it was originally published as a children's novel." --from Brian Lee, "Children's Books Grow Up", The Contemporary Review 1978-08-01 pp. 85-88 (quoted in full below)

Publisher advertisement, The Observer 1973-10-07 p40, quotes a Sunday Times review by Margery Fisher, "... it would be equally insulting to children and to Alan Garner to tread RED SHIFT as anything but a superbly exciting piece of literature."

• "First published 1973" on copyright page
• September publication is noted in "This Week: A guide to radio and TV programmes of interest to professionals", Television Mail 1973-09-14 p8. Namely:
  • BBC-2 One Pair of Eyes, Monday 22:10 [1973-09-17], features Alan Garner's personal commentary on violence. "... he began writing (for children) in 1960. Since then his work has become increasingly sophisticated and this week sees the publication of his new novel Red Shift. In tonight's film he attempts to show the creative possibilities of violence ...".
• Bottom right corner of front dust jacket flap is clipped. Publisher's price "£1.60 net." is printed adjacent to the clipped area
• Price £1.60 also stated in publisher advertisement, The Observer 1973-10-07 p40 (earliest found in automated search of many newspapers and magazines) so this appears to be the price of the original issue of this pub
• Front pastedown and first front free endpaper have a message in code which is related to the story. Repeated on last rear free endpaper and rear pastedown. British Library describes this as: "Text on lining papers."
• "The photographs on the jacket are by Arthur Smith" on front dust jacket flap