NEW ZEALAND BOOKS.

Evening Star, Issue 19661, 14 September 1927, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND BOOKS.

*0 'lus. EDITOK. Sir, —The letter of your correspondent “ Bhagpat ” reminds me of a lien cackling over an egg that lias not yet been laid. I quite agree with you when you infer that New Zealand authors de not produce work that can vie or even suggest comparison with that of British authors mentioned in your book column. If local writers wish to climb higher in the literary world they are more likely to achieve their object by studying the. best British literature than by worrying over tbo talent of their fellow-countrymen. Then, again, I. lake it.that tho fundamental wish of a rising author is to see himself or herself in print. It is on this point that 1 wish to criticise the New Zealand Press. Apart from a number of weeklies, very low papers iu the dominion make the slightest attempt to encourage local fiction writers. To be sure, a. number of dailies hold Christmas story-writing competitions, and one southern paper runs a splendid children’s fiction page each, week. However, of all the dailies iu the country it .seems to me that the ‘ Evening Star ’ itself is easily tho most consistent in its endeavors to encourage local adult story-writers by publishing their work. Therefore, 1 consider that “Shagpat’s ” citricism of your paper is unjustified.—l am, etc., Rr.Aur.n. September It.