A Literary Page or Two

(By Shibli Bagarag.)

Aliterary page usually has only a limited appeal. It deals with big names and big books; literary folk whom we have heard of often but have never met—never hope to meet. In this monthly feature I propose to write so that all may read and appreciate. Mostly I will deal with literary endeavour in our own land, of writers you have met, of those who have had their first stories accepted, of local newspapers, of reporters, of coming or present endeavours in local print, of local cartoonists and caricaturists. In short I hope to play my humble part once more, just as I did in the New Zealand edition of “Aussie,” in the world of literary enterprise in the Dominion. If occasionally my pen wanders to a big book, a big writer or a big artist in some other part of the world, then I hope it will add a welcome variety to my monthly survey.

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One department of our daily life happily untouched by the depression, except in one respect, is the activity of our literary life in New Zealand. Never has there been greater interest or greater life in our small world of letters. Old Man Depression (the gods be thanked he is an old man now) has been practically ignored by our writers. Although he has greatly lessened the buying power of local talent by the people who print, writers, poets and artists show an enthusiastic output as many editors, particularly of the several New Zealand Annuals, will tell you. For those who may say I am one of those pseudo cheergerm fellows—of the painfully annoying variety who pump up counterfeited optimism from the dry well of imagined hopefulness, I will just make a hurried survey of the four main centres to prove my faith in the literary present and future.

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In Auckland we have the members of the Penwomen's Club as busy as boom bees; we have a new Women's Weekly, a revivified “N.Z. Observer,” printing a host of interesting articles and stories from New Zealand writers, the “N.Z. Mirror” doing similarly good work, the two dailies each with local cartoonists on their staffs, where a few years ago they had none, and producing wonderfully bright Saturday Supplements containing a host of brilliantly written signed articles.

Coming to Wellington there is the recently inaugurated Society of Lady Writers and Artists, growing rapidly in membership and interest. Then the classic quarterly “Art in New Zealand” recently issued a straight out challenge to the depression by cutting its price in half with little or no reduction in size. In December last the “N.Z. Artists' Annual” produced its biggest and most imposing issue to date. “Tui's Annual” gave encouragement to hundreds of writers and artists with payments running into a few hundreds of pounds. An artistic monthly, “N.Z. Homes and Gardening,” is on the stocks, a bright and newsy pamphlet, “Spilt Ink,” makes a periodic appearance, and clever artists and writers such as Ken Alexander, Alan page 44 Paterson, and Alan Reeve were enterprising enough to produce books of their own. True, the local dailies are not so generous to N.Z. literary product in their supplements, but their staff work is of a very high standard. I should add, too, that Wellington has a flourishing Ex Libris Society.

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Christchurch is a newspaper record for Australia and New Zealand in that it can support four dailies. “The Sun” and the “Press,” particularly, feature excellent book columns. From there the grand old veteran poetess, Miss Jessie Mackay, still writes outstanding verse.

My enthusiasm receives a set back when I come to Dunedin. There, however, the Saturday editions of the two local newspapers run much that is well written and informative as to literary work at home and abroad. Local literary enterprise, however, has yet to come into its own in the dour town.

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The forthcoming monthly, “N.Z. Homes and Gardening,” referred to above, is to be produced by the Hereford Printing Co., of which Mr. Phil Hereford, himself a writer and poet of no mean ability, is Managing Director. Mr. Will Lawson recently joined the staff of the company.

Messrs. Whitcombe & Tombs recently produced their first number of “Whitcombe's Monthly Review of Literature.” The first issue contained an article by Miss Nelle M. Scanlan on “Modern Literature.” This pamphlet is well worth filing as a guide to current books. Although a trade organ there is no reason why it should not develop along the lines of “Now and Then” (Jonathan Cape).

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Many of you still remember Tom Glover whose clever caricatures and cartoons brightened the pages of “The Free Lance” and “N.Z. Truth” over a decade ago. Tom is now the most popular cartoonist in Sydney. He gives the metropolis its big daily laugh in the pages of “The Sun.” During the Lang regime he was the creator of Lang's bull Ebenezer, which for a while was almost as famous as Pat Sullivan's Felix the Cat. Incidentally, I notice that Sullivan recently died in America. From a half starved existence in Australia he suddenly leapt to fame and fortune in America with his cat creation. Reverting, however, to Tom Glover. Tom recently brought out a great collection of humorous cricket studies under the title of “Ow Zat.” He also illustrated, in a style very reminiscent of Tom Browne, a book by Dr. Hordern entitled “Googlies.”

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Talking the other day to Bob Prince, one of the oldest comps. in New Zealand (he is 67 and could pass for 47) he told me how the “N.Z. Times” landed a big political scoop some decades ago. Rivalry between the press gallery representatives was fierce in those days. Tremendous interest was being evinced in a forthcoming Budget and “The Times” made sure of getting in first with the news. One of the comps. was commissioned to blow into the Government Printing Works. He was equipped with a new pair of moleskin pants. He managed to get alongside the forme containing the set matter of the Budget. A “pull” or proof, had just been taken from it and the ink was still wet. The comp. felt faint at the sight of it and gently sat himself on the metal. An hour later two reporters were furiously at work in “The Times” office. One dictated from the seat of the comp's. pants and the other transcribed. It was the scoop of the century.

Bob Prince, by the way, was 47 years with “The Times.” When he was told that the paper was closing down he announced disgustedly “he was darned if he would have joined the old rag had he known the job was not going to be permanent!”

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Of great interest to New Zealand writers is the recent establishment in Australia of the Endeavour Press, under the sponsorship of the Sydney “Bulletin.” The principals include Mr. P. R. Stephensen the Australian Rhodes Scholar, Norman page 45 Lindsay and Mr. H. K. Prior, manager of the “Bulletin.” The new company is keen to receive and consider MSS., particularly if it has appropriate Australian or New Zealand colour. The first published novel of the new concern, “Saturdee,” is having a great sale. For myself, I am keenly looking forward to the forthcoming published collection of “Kodak's” great humorous stories illustrated by David Low. Kodak was Australia's greatest humorist. Another Australian humorist recently discovered, Len Lower, threatens to run him a good second.

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Did You Know That—

Jack Gilmour, formerly cartoonist of the “Free Lance,” was, at last advice, in London, doing a bit of song writing interlarded with cartooning.

Hector Bolitho hopes to return to New Zealand shortly to deliver a series of lectures.

Frank Bush, formerly chief artist with Goldberg's, has been appointed Service Manager to Gordon and Gotch, London.

Miss Iris Wilkinson (“Robin Hyde”) is the backbone of the Auckland “Observer.” Her keen nose for news gives that paper a weekly scoop.

Miss Betty Knell (“Fariel” of the Wellington “Post”) was married recently.

Ken Alexander's “High Lights of Life” is generally admitted to be the finest humorous effort yet published in New Zealand.

J. H. Saunders, formerly manager of the ill-fated Fine Arts (N.Z.) Ltd., is back in Australia.

Due to appear in London “Bookman” in a few months is an article on New Zealand poetry by Miss M. Z. Innes, of Auckland.

Miss Nelle Scanlan's “Pencarrow” has run into a fifth edition. Her new novel will be published shortly.