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Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 23

NOTES

An interesting milestone in Australian literature is marked by the projected publication next March of a volume of Australian one-act plays by Messrs Angus and Robertson, of Sydney. The publishers have invited Mr William Moore and Mr T. Inglis Moore —whose relationship is in name and a common cultural interest only—to select manuscripts. Mr William Moore is well known as an art critic and well remembered as the promoter of Australian Drama Nights in Melbourne about 25 years ago.

Writing in * John o’ London’s Weekly,’ “ Colophon ” suggests that it is significant that, in spite of the competition of mystery stories and light romances, which are more numerous than ever before, no falling-off has been recorded in the demand for novels by Dickens, Dumas, Hardy, Stevenson, Jane Austen, and the Brontes. The annua] reports of libraries indicate that these are the classical writers most favoured. When borrowers, come to choose modern novels their taste appears to be equally sound. The list of favourites—which excludes quite a number of hesf-scllers —is Walpole, Wodehouse, Deeping, Galsworthy, Buchan, Vachell, Phillpotts, Bennett, Sabatini, and Maxwell.

Like father, like son is translated into “ Like father, like daughter ” in the case of Leonard and Lesley Marrick (says the ‘ Australasian ’). Apart from Leonard Marrick’s books—he is one of the most graceful writers of to-day, and his ‘ Tragedy of a Comic Song ’ is one of the most perfect examples of the short story—father and daughter left memories of themselves in Australia following their visit to this part of the world some years ago. Miss Merrick evidently carried memories away with her, too, and, apparently, happy ones. For, following her father’s footsteps, she has writetn a book, which is a story of the journey she and her father made halfway around the world, and which is entitled ‘ A Good Time. Incidentally, while in Melbourne Miss Merrick commented that bad she been hyper-sensitive she would have rather taken to heart the kindly gesture of Melbourne friends driving her through the city’s suburbs. Invariably, when exploring the eastern environs, they would point to a large building astride a hilltop and say, “ That is Kcw Asylum.”

Writing is in the blood of Miss L. A. B. Honey, tlio Australian author of ‘ Tlio Shadow Tree,' whose book is soon to bo published by Andrew Melrose Ltd. Her father, T. W. Honey, who edited the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald ’ for many years, was a poet and author, as well as a journalist, and her maternal grandfather, Mr Henry Gullett — uncle of Sir Henry Gullett —was also a journalist, being the first editor of the ‘ Australasian ’ and editor of the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald ’ during the Federation period. Born in Sydney, Miss Honey was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Pynible, where she distinguished herself in literature. Miss Honey peopled a house in the southern highland district of New South Wales with the characters of ‘ The Shadow Tree.’ to find, as did Robert Louis Stevenson with his people of ‘ Treasure Island,’ that they took charge and that “ the honk grew _of its own accord.” With an Australian and New Zealand setting ‘ The Shadow Tree,’ conceived slowly and with the literary background Miss Honey was able to bring to its construction, should ho a valuable addition to Australian books.—.‘ Australasian.’