A literary first for Lance O'Sullivan

STORY TO TELL: Dr Lance O'Sullivan officially launching his life's story (so far) in Kaitaia last week.

Kaitaia GP Dr Lance O'Sullivan might well have recorded a literary first for New Zealand, if not globally, last week.

Dr O'Sullivan officially launched his biography, The Good Doctor, at Kaitaia book shop Marston Moor on Thursday evening, after it had been declared a sell-out.

Marston Moor owner and book-buyer Anne Walker said the last copy had been sold to retailers within 10 days of its release on to the market. Her store had sold out (but had more copies coming from the publisher), and a second print would be a couple of months or more away.

It was easily the store's best seller of the year, she added, but Dr O'Sullivan said it had almost not been written at all. He had been "seriously not keen" to accept the invitation to tell his story, but had come around to the view that perhaps he had something to say that might help others.

He had subsequently spent a good deal of time with his ghost writer, and was proud of the final result.

Dr O'Sullivan, who rose from an inauspicious start to life and a somewhat ignominious beginning to his academic career to establish a successful general practice, to inspire a series of innovative responses to serious health and social issues in his adopted community and nationally, and whose accolades include the title of New Zealander of the year 2014, told Thursday evening's gathering that he regarded himself as privileged to live in Kaitaia, and that he had received as much from the community as he had contributed to it.

That contribution continued with the publication of his biography, all royalties going to the MOKO Foundation that he established as a response to the very Far North's high rate of rheumatic fever but has since expanded its role into supporting and encouraging the children, youth and whanau of the Far North, Northland and New Zealand.

Marston Moor donated $10 for every book sold on Thursday evening to the foundation, along with proceeds from tickets to the function.

And Mrs Walker had no doubt that the book's success would continue for some time.

"It's a great read," she said, "an inspirational book that we all should read."