PRIZE NOVELS.

Shannon News, 4 September 1928, Page 3

PRIZE NOVELS.

OVER FIVE HUNDRED IN BULLETIN COMPETITION. WOMEN WRITERS WIN FIRST PRIZES. A great deal of interest has been taken'in the novel-writing competition promoted by the Sydney Bulletin for which £725 was offered in prizes. Tins was increased by £SOO, when it was found that two novels were equal in merit. The two first prizes were both won bv women. Miss Eldershaw, a member of the teaching staff of the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Croydon, collaborated with Miss Barnard, libarian at. the Sydney Technical College, in writing "Houses Built," one of the winning novels. Katharine Susannah Prichard, the well-known West Australian writer, won the other £SOO with "Coonardoo." She is the wife of Hugo Throssell, V.C. Vance Palmer won the £75 with "Men Are Human."

The judges were Messrs T. B. Clegg, a barrister; Mackannesa, lecturer in literature at the Teachers'' Training College; D. H. Souter, the well-known artist and critic; Cecil. Mann, of the "Bulletin" staff, who represented the Australian Journalists' Association; and the late T. Heney, the well-known journalist, who died last week. ' OVER FORTY MILLION WORDS. Thev had a colossal task. They had to read no fewer than 542 novels, of an average length of 80,000 words—a total of 43,360,000 words—between Mar and August. Mr Clegg started in the beginning of May, and kept on without a break till the middle of this month. Mr Mann started a fortnight later. The judges read every novel through. Every novel that was rejected was read by at least two of the judges before being thrown out. The only condition attached to the competition was that the entrants had to be either born in Australia or resident in Australia. The vast majority of entries came from residents, but about 75 came from New Zealand and other countries. There were entries from Papua, Burma, Rhodesia, Italy, America and England—an indication of the extent to which literary minded Australians have tramped abroad. There was no limit as to length. One competitor sent in a "novel" of 210,000 words —quite long enough to make one of the "three-deckers" of the 19th century. The judges, of course, did not know the identity of the competitors. They found that there were two stones which they considered in first prize class, and afterwards they discovered that these two had been written by women.

"Houses Built" is a study of character, a psychological novel, Avritten on broad lines. It .will not be published as a serial. "Coonardoo "is a far back-country story of the pioneers, and its action takes place in the north-west of West Australia.

There were 23 novels which the judges considered really good stories. A list has been compiled showing 15 "highly commended" stories, and eight "commended." Clergymen, tram conductors, swaggies, flappers, old ladies entered. There was one society woman who entered the office Avith a chauffeur in her train—carrying the precious manuscript!