What Australasians Read.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7075, 22 February 1893, Page 3

What Australasians Read.

THE OMNIPOTENT “YELLOW- “ BACK-” “ In Australia and New Zealand we spend a sixpence on books for every penny yon ■pend at home.” This remark came to me a oouple of days ago (says a Daily Chronicle interviewer) from Mr O T. Hutchison, of the well-known publishing firm, Messrs Hutchinson and Co. But the remark was not Mr Hutchinson's own. It was Sir George Grey’s, made to him at Auckland a year or two ago. I wanted news about Australasia in reference to books, and 1 went to Mr Hutchinson as the man to give it me. Xou see he makes ; a specialty or Australasia - that is, publishes works of: Australasia, books by Australasians, " and exports to our Antipodean cousins thousands of volumes which other people publish. Moreover, he knows personally almost evbry bookseller of importance in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. “ My personal experience,” Mr Hutchinson went on, “ entirely confirms whatr Sir George Grey said to me. Undoubtedly the amount of money spent on literature in Australasia is much larger, having regard to the population, than the amount spent in this country.” •‘ Then the appreciation of literature at the Antipodes is very keen P” “ Why, during the past year we alone have shipped over a hundred tons of it to the Australasian towns. The unsatisfactory state of trade in our colonies has not affected our shipments of books in any way, and that is a good indication of th« hold books have upon the Australasians.” “ Now what kind of books do they consume mostly—fiction, poetry, science, or philosophy ?” “Mostly fiction; they are great novel readers. The dabble a little in verse— ‘ The poets of the Oentary ' is a series to suit them, arthe volumes are-good and cheap—but the mass of Australasianjreading is fiction. Australasians living in a" new country with a bright, buoyant atmosphere naturally take to light lileratura r to the yellow back novel. But as the country gets older they will no doubt develop a stronger taste for verse, and what I may call the heavier kinds of literature. Indeed, that tendency—o tendency one can at once accept —has been very apparent in recent years. Not so very long ogo there would not have bean anything of a market even for such popularly-designed volumes of verse as ‘The Poets of the Century.’” “So the novel is the favourite form of literature at the other end of the world ?” “ Quite —a novel, say, like Joseph Hatton’s 'By Order of the Czar.’ Australasians are a great sporting people, and as a result, they love a story with a dash of sport in it,” •' How is opinion on books formed in Australasia—l mean, has a successful book here to stand another trial there ?” “ English opinion carries great weight, iu fact, all the weightj if a book does well here it will do well in Australia and New Zealand. . A book which sells largely here may be relied on to sell largely among the people of Australasia, and, when you think of It, this is very natural.” “ If an Australasian author were to publish his writings at Home would the circulation not be better there than when the publication is here ?” “ Quite the reverse. The London hallmark is everything ; well, almost everything. It is not so in the case of books only, but in the case of soap, if yon like. Melbourne is essentially the first literary centre of Australia—has the largest retail bookseller in the world ; but London is the great literary mart for Australia and New Zealand. Apart from the strong preference for anything from London, it is frequently more easy to distribute books over Australia and Now Zealand from London than it would be to distribute them from Mol bourne or Sydney. Besides, there is this advantage in the system, that there is no intercolonial jealousy about London.” “ How do you explain the greater amount of money per head, compared with ourselves, that is spent for books in Australia and New Zealand ?” | “ There are several reasons for it, bubal don’t think that the purchasing of dear is one of thorn. As I have indicated, lasians buy cheap books ; the is hardly known among them ; we special editions for Australasia. money is expended is in the number and read, and then often thrown to be looked at again. As to the the greater buying of books per head, place first the greater leisure the the people have for reading. have —at all events they had until presaion fell—more money to thirdly, other educative-attractions with boobs are fewer there than cannot bear a first-class opera day in an Australasian town. going tc some minor concert or educated man or woman will remain and read a book ” “ Am I far wrong in saying that of books on Australasia is even mar than the growth of the iu Australia and Now Zealand ?” “ A literature of Australasia is growing. This year we have books dealing with Australasia laiian people. Sir George Grey’s Australasian Encyclopaedia,’ and tionary of Australasian •re three of them. We are library of Australasian discovery, and 1 need hardly you the novels by Au-tralasian have brought out. There was 1 the Spider,’ by Mr Marriott 4 Judith Grant,’ by Mrs Locke't, traveller has just left for Australasia Zealand with samples of new JL- Farjeon, Marriott Watson, writers identified with “ What is yonr view on the fcrulasia in regard to books ?” “That the whole consumption greater and greater, and that there continual increase in the boohs Australasians, and the hooka on London for many years to come great emporium of Australia.” In coming away, I asked Mr generally how far be cympatbioed growl heard touching the the year’s publishing. “ £ can only tell you,” be said, overturn shows an increase of 60 per the previous year ” I reserved my condolences.