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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 1 (May 1, 1933)

Among The Books. — A Literary Page or Two

page 55

Among The Books.
A Literary Page or Two

Often I meet New Zealand writers who declare hopelessly that one must have a name to succeed in the world of letters abroad. There are a host of examples to give the knock direct to such pessimism. Let me quote one only, recent example—Ian Coster.

Two or three years ago he was a junior on the Auckland “Sun.” When that fine paper went under through force of circumstances, Coster, with many others, was thrown on the unemployment market. He hit the trail straight for England, and was there only a few days when he secured a remarkable interview with George Bernard Shaw, by waylaying him in the street. The story was told so artlessly that Coster immediately attracted attention. Now, he is editor of Nash's Magazine, and spoken of as the best judge of a short story in London. One of Coster's first creative efforts appeared in the “N.Z. Artists' Annual,” in 1928. Incidentally Miss Nelle Scanlon's first published story appeared in the same annual a year earlier.

* * *

Another knock to the pessimist. He is given to declare with sad emphasis that New Zealand book production never pays. How so? Ken Alexander's “High lights Of life,” published at his own risk, has already paid his printer, and shown him a dividend.

* * *

If I remember rightly, Hughie Smith told me he was eighty years of age when he looked into my office last year. He was as full of potential energy for his few days stay in the capital city as a quart of Scotch whisky. He recited to me, in the Doric, many lines of his poems, told me a string of yarns of his beloved West Coast, and anticipated with boyish enthusiasm the big Scots' gathering he was to attend that night. He seemed to whirl out of my office like a sheet of paper in the grip of a Wellington gale. The next I heard of eighty-year-old Hughie was to be greeted the other day with a hefty volume of his poems replete with pictures of himself in kilts, sporran, bagpipes and haggis (pardon possible ignorance as to attire—I am not a Scotsman).

* * *

The poems travel the whole gamut of sentiment. Their homely sincere note must appeal to all. I am sure that the spirit of Hughie Smith will be present in all its irresistible enthusiasm for the sweet warm things of life, in many a home in New Zealand, when the book he has produced becomes better known. The cost of the volume is a modest 3/9 from the author, Inangahua Junction, West Coast.

* * *

On the merits of his recently published collections of cartoons, “Minhinnicks Annual,” Gordon Minhinnick, of the “N.Z. Herald,” is destined to take his place in the gallery of big black and white artists produced by the Dominion. During the past year Minhinnick has developed strength in his cartoon work. The best of these cartoons are included in the book under review, and are supplemented by a number of delightful comic strips. The contrast between the bold line in his cartoons and the easy fluency of treatment in the strips is interesting. The Annual, which has been nicely produced by the “Herald,” sells at 1/6.

* * *

Half-way along Customs Street East, in Auckland, is a neat little bookshop. If you go inside you will hear behind a partition the clatter of machinery. The bookseller-printer-owner, Mr. Percy Salmond, looks at peace with the world in general as he takes your order for a magazine, a book, or a printing job. If it is the latter you may want, he will smile engagingly, for this is his hobby. With just pride, he will produce a specimen—his own magazine, “Fernleaf,” which is the official journal of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association. This is his pet job, and on point of interest to those concerned, it is certainly an excellent little publication.

* * *

Little valued as a journalist in this country, Eric Baume, formerly of the Wellington page 56 “Dominion” recently published his first book in Sydney. Baume is a big man in the newspaper world over the other side, holding an important literary and executive position on “Sun” newspapers there.

* * *

It is consoling these days to see a publication of the calibre of “Art in N.Z.” coming out with undiminished vigour. Four years old, and with two great issues, numbers 18 and 19, to tell the world that Art and Literature in the Dominion can hold its own in an economic system that vacillates like a seismograph in the grip of an overgrown earthquake. Unperturbed by such upheavals, Mr. Harry H. Tombs, the director, and Mr. C. A. Marris, the literary editor, continue to cut and polish a quarterly gem scintillating with the brilliance of such contributors as Eileen Duggan, C. R. Allen, Russell Reeve, and other names so valued in the New Zealand literary world. Prior interest is, of course, given to the art side, and in this respect we find in the 18th issue excellent plates in colour and black and white, of the work of Esmond Atkinson, T. A. McCormack, Paul Edmonds and others, and in the 19th (latest) issue a fair amount of space is devoted to a promising young artist, Mr. James Cook. The last two issues also have special interest in the decisions arrived at in the recent literary competitions. The annual sub. to Art in N.Z. is 13/6, from the publishers, Harry H. Tombs, Wingfield Street, Wellington.

* * *

I have told it often, but I think it is good enough to repeat here. It is one of the brightest gems of unconscious humour perpetrated by a country reporter. At a township a few hundred miles from Wellington, the local undertaker dropped dead while officiating at a funeral. Recording the fact in its issue next day, the local paper said “the unexpected happening cast quite a gloom over the gathering.”

* * *

When, as a youth, I journeyed to “seek my fortune” in Sydney, one of my first helpmates was Mr. James Edmond, who died the other day. Edmond and John Barr took me (in a spirit, of glorious charity) to the rare wee pub below the “Bulletin” office. I must have been horribly uninteresting, but they, good fellows, toasted enthustically “the young fellow from Maoriland.” I remember Edmond so well. He was in carpet slippers (in those days newspaper men did not worry about details in attire) and through the high-powered glasses Edmond gave me a few succinct observations on the essentials of journalism. I did not see or hear from him again until a few years ago, when he wrote to me as follows:—“I haven't been in Maoriland since before the war, when I did the track to Milford Sound and the sandflies thereof. I had a vague idea of crossing the Tasman Sea again this year, but the project is off. It seems a duty to have a look at Alice Springs, the new capital of the new territory of Central Australia, and I suppose the smallest metropolis in the British Empire. I have seen about thirty capitals in my life, and I want to add this one to the collection.” James Edmond was an outstanding figure in Australian journalism (was editor of the “Bulletin” for several years)—one of the few survivors of that grand old school of “Bulletin” journalists.

Had a letter the other day from W. S. Percy, well known here in the old J.C.W. days, as a comedian. Mr. Percy, who is now in London, takes a big interest in book-plates, having signed a number himself. He sent me a number of rare plates for presentation to the N.Z. Ex Libris Society.

* * *

Did you know that—

“Maori Tales” is to be translated into short talkie subjects. A film company is busy on the job in Auckland.

The late Mrs. G. D. Greenood drew over £200 in royalties from the sale of her book “Gloaming.”

Tana Fama has nearly completed a 60,000 word novel, the locale of the plot of which is in the South Seas.

Messrs. Gordon and Gotch, Wellington, distributors of this Magazine, sold out the April issue within twenty-four hours of publication.

J. C. Hill, cartoonist of the “Auckland Star,” had a caricature of de Valera recently published in “The Tatler.”

A branch of the world-famous Pen Club may be formed in New Zealand shortly.

* * *

Reviews

Saturdee,” by Norman Lindsay (Endeavour Press).—This wonderfully humorous story of school-boy mischief, is just another example of the versatility of the remarkable Lindsay. Tom Sawyer and Hucklebury Finn are back numbers, when we place them alongside Peter, “Stinker” and Co. A vastly entertaining novel, more for “oldsters” than for youngsters. Price 6/-, at leading bookshops.

Bulletin Australian Year Book” (N.Z. Office Bulletin, 14 Panama St.). —A complete reference book, relative to all aspects of Australian life—commercial, political, sport, etc. A handy book on the shelves of any office in the Dominion. Price 1/- (cloth 2/-).

The Animals Noah Forgot” (Endeavour Press).—“Banjo” Paterson makes a wonderful come-back in this interesting collection of verse. There are illustrations by Norman Lindsay. Price 2/6.

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