A ROYAL AWARD

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 682, 7 November 1933, Page 4

A ROYAL AWARD

There are not many prizes to be won by living British writers except the constantly sought, but infrequently found one of money. For that reason the medals which are to be given by his Majesty the King for the best volumes of Empire poetry by authors under the age of 35 will be welcomed. There Will be honour in winning these medals, but apart from that, the fact that a volume has been awarded such a prize must have beneficial financial results for the writer. In these days, booming publicity is a close ally of the literary man and woman, and the skilful publisher will be able to make the most of a book which has won for the author of a royal medal. At present the most important award made to British authors is the Hawthorden Prize, given for the best work in imaginative literature, by a writer under the age of 40. The Hawthornden prize winners have always had a reward much in excess of the prize money of £100. In the past decade many notable works such as Miss SackvilleWest's poem, "The Land," Charles Morgan's novel, "The Fountain," Kate O'Brien's. "Without My Cloak," have been given the

prize, and on one occasion a work of a New Zealand writer, Mr. D'Arcy Cresswell, was in'the group from which the final selection was made. On the whole, however, poets have rather less encouragement than workers in other departments of literature. Therefore his Majesty has chosen wisely in deciding to assist* them through his patronage. The prizes may be won by poets in any part of the Empire, so New Zealanders have their chance of bringing distinction to the budding litera- j ture of their own country. It i should be possible for a writer in the Dominion to produce as good work as that of young men or women in any -other part of the Empire.