Literary Grants To Help N.Z. Writers

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1948, Page 7

Literary Grants To Help N.Z. Writers

— ! WELLINGTON, Feb. 1. A number oi grants froni the State Literary Eund., whieh was establislied in Augus to eneourage New Zeaiand. i writers and publishers, have been made by" the Government. A total annuai grahi of £2000 was made and the Minister of Internal Aft'airs (Mr. Parry) announeed yesterday the Government 's approval of" a number of reeommendations made by the advisory iommittee of nine members under the chairmanship of Sir James Elliott. A substantial grant from the fuhd has been made availabie to Mr. Anthony Alpers to assist hiin in compiling a biography of the' famous New Zeaiand uoveiist, Katherine Mansheld. Mr. Alpers, who was formerly on thfe|literary stalf of the New Zeaiand Listener, left New Zeaiand several months ago to undertake this work in England. Among the smaller. grants is oneMo Ihe New Zeaiand Women Writers' Society to eneourage its members to produce a writers' annuai. ' An interesting proposal receiving the attention of the advisory committee is the preparation of the Richmond and Atkinson letters. This collection of the papers of two distinguished New Zeaiand families is in the possession of the General Assembly Library and is bounrl in about -10 volumes. The period covcred is "practically the life of Mr. Justice Christopher William Richmond from 1821 to 1885.. The letters were collected and preserved by his daugliters, Misses Mary and Emily Eichmond, and they include a great number of letters by Sir Harry Atkinson, a brother-in-law of Mr. Justice Eichmond and a former Prime Minister of New Zeaiand. Assistance also has been approved for the production of the unpublished poeins of Eobin Hyde, edited by Gloria Eawlinson. It is hoped that a grant will •nake possible the reprmting of Mr. Fohn Mulgan 's book, ' ' Man Alone ' A number of Maori legends put to verse by Miss Edith How.es, a revised and cxtended editiou of William Carleton s life of Henry Williams and the production of a tiiree-volume manuscript ot the laws of verse by Johann.es Anderseu were among other works^ approved by the ttdvisbrv committee.