LITERARY powerhouses Gay and Nan Talese are vacationing on the island this week ? luxuriating in Bermuda's milder climate while enjoying a break from city life.

A noted author and revered publisher respectively, their holiday coincided with the controversy surrounding , the best-seller published by Mrs. Talese's imprint at Doubleday.

At issue is whether Doubleday published James Frey's book as a memoir despite recognising that significant events in it were embellished and / or manufactured. In the work, the author writes of his past substance abuse, and claims he was involved in a car accident that killed two high school students.

A respected author of several non-fiction works, Mr. Talese's most recent memoir, was released to critical acclaim in 1992.

This is Mr. and Mrs. Talese's second visit to the island. They arrived from New York last Saturday, a day before the news broke that the best-seller ? buoyed by huge endorsement from popular talk show host Oprah Winfrey ? could indeed be a work of fiction. While here the pair spent their days lounging at the Coral Beach Club and touring the island ? frequently under the wing of taxi driver Randolph Ball.

"We were here together more than 20 something years ago, I think in 1982," said Mr. Talese yesterday. "We stayed at the same place, the Coral Beach Club. It's wonderful. It hasn't changed much at all."

Avid travellers, the pair determined they would take a break from their hectic schedules after Christmas. Initial plans involved a Moroccan getaway ? however, Bermuda's close proximity and warm memories of their past visit lured them here instead.

"We've done a lot of travelling recently. For years we travelled to Asia and sometimes accompanied friends to other places. We love it. We think Bermuda is a wonderful secret. People in New York don't know how great it is.

"You don't have to go far to escape from big city life. It's been a glorious week. The pro at Coral Beach, Derek Singleton, got us somebody to hit with ? James Collieson," said the 74 year old of Bermuda's highly-ranked player. "It's very delightful to be here. We intend to come more often."