Literary Society

The present Literary Society was inaugurated late in 1955. Its full-scale activities began at the beginning of 1956 with a poetry reading following the A.G.M., in which readers were Maria Dronke, Anton Vogt, Denis Glover, Charles Doyle, Louis Johnson and James K. Baxter. Also at the beginning of the year there was a discussion on New Zealand literature held in the staff common room, the speakers being Charles Brasch and R. A. K. Mason. During the rest of the year a series on the novel included Dr. Peter Munz on Thomas Mann, Joan Stevens on the Modern English Novel, and Professor Gordon on the American Novel. We also heard Professor Conlon discuss AndrÉ Gide. There was in addition a series of lunch-time sessions devoted to listening to records kindly lent by the English Department, including readings of various poets from Chaucer to the 20th century. One of the highlights was Reuben Ship's The Investigator.

1956 also saw the appearance of two issues of the new publication Experiment. They sold well and the work contained was of a fair standard.

During the long vacation two very popular evenings of informal poetry readings were arranged at private flats. A theme was set and members read a selection of their own taste.

The beginning of 1957 saw the appearance of the third issue of Experiment, which was enlarged by almost half as much again.