Salient. The Newspaper of Victoria University College. Vol. 20, No. 8. September 14, 1956
[Introduction]
Though New Zealanders read more books per head of population than any other country we seemed to lack imaginative writing that was typical of the Dominion, said Sir David Smith. Chancellor of the University of New Zealand in his opening address at the recent meeting of the Senate, in Wellington.
This was a serious deficiency, stressed Sir David. He conceded we had produced some good historians, poets and writers of one act plays, but lacked imaginative prose writers.
"The novel deals imaginatively with the common life of people, criticises it and in so doing, helps to refine it," he said.
New Zealand had not yet founded a literary tradition in imaginative prose. When it would come, no one could tell.