BRIDGE AFTERNOON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 102, 1 May 1936, Page 11

BRIDGE AFTERNOON.

VICTORIA LEAGUE.

A successful bridge afternoon was held in the League rooms 011 Thursday afternoon by the Victoria League books committee to raise funds to help their work for the backblocks settlors and schools. The guests were received b\ Miss Mowbray, president, assisted by Miss Fenton, chairman of the books committee, Mrs. Dane Allen, convenei, and the following members of the books committee acted as hostesses: Mrs. St. Clair Jnglis, Misses Slater, Burnett, Thomson, WagstalT, and Mason.

Among the players were: Miss Mowbray, Miss Ivy Wright, Mesdames Coleg'rove, W. King, Edgcr, Langsford, Rickerbv, 0. Dawson, sen., P. J. 1 ring, Stride, Coleman, liolgatc, T. MeNab, A. Dignan, A. C. Green, S. Fowke, H. Bayly, Bluck, Thomas, Lightfoot, Till. T. W. Harrison, C. J. Blackup, H. McGill, P- Macfarlane, D. Clayton, A. Leslie, F. H. Gifl'ord, Anthony Stubbs, Runciman, C. Reeves, F. Ross. L ; M Bews, S. T. Wicksteed, Mackley, ONeill, G Bacon, A. Purcell, Coney, Brcthcrton, Ilavten, Griffiths, J. McGlasl.an G. Dixon, H. Greatbatch, J. Gamble, W. J. Foote V. Usher, J. A. Price, Noel Wallace, M. Bell, W. H. McAlpine, R. Is. Uren T. W Irwin, Whitley, Short, Walker, C Heather, R. Abbott, Christian E. Hay, Russell, Charlton, Kohn, Kenderdine, Corbett, V. Clioyee, R. G. Sloman, Carlton Hay, MacCorinick, Pratt, Stewart, C. Jones. Gardner, O. Horspool, Bland ford, R. 11 Ft '' l , tll , 0 . r .H 0nt |' Hindson, Pascoe. G. F. H'' l - C. Mltfoul, Garlick, F. W. Wilson, W. Newman, M. Spear v, H. Tiarks. D. Parker W. Lewins, Coutts, Perrean, W ebbci., Isemonger. Chas. V.'ilsoii C. Lamb. V • Brownlee, K. Brown, 11. Moody, A. Lcj - land. L. Barker, Misses Langsford, Thompson, Haigh. R. Coleman ! 1 aque. N II Rose, L. Wright. Roche, Watt, 1. Hav Liiigard, Bent, Glimmer, Gardiner, Pherrett E. B. Coldicntt. Burnett, Darling, M. A. Parker, A. E. Whittcn.

AUTHORS' WEEK. INTEREST OF WOMEN. There is much to interest women in the project of "Authors' Week." In Auckland, this week, as i" Wellington last week, much of the success can fairly bo attributed to women, whether as speakers or supporters. Heie in * l,c land eight women are included a speakers in the week's programme of 20 talks on various aspects of liteiatme. Miss Rosemary Rees, Mrs. H. Can Ro lett, Mrs. Cluett (Isabel Maud Peacocke), Miss Elsie Morton, and Miss Iris Wilkinson have already spoken, while speakers yet to come arc Mrs. E. Wilson, M.A., Miss Rosemary Rees, and Miss Jane Maridel - this evening. Hie o-reater proportion of the afternoon attendances has been of women, and many are attending every item listed on the programme. In the realm ot authorship, women score quite spectacularly. In the official bibliography compiled in Wellington from records furnished locally and by the other centres, over 120 of the authors or poets listed are women, and their work goes over a very wide field —poetry, children s t a i C s, essays, historical research, sociology, folklore, fiction and biography. Owing to the omissions inevitable in an initial effort such as this, this list is woefully incomplete. Probably half as many again will be disclosed before the next bibliography comes to be compiled. Since inclusion was limited to publishers of what could definitely be described as bound books, a great mass of feminist pamphlet work and fine general journalism goes unrecorded.

Results of Exhibition. Since women are probably 75 per cent of the total buyers in New Zealand, the outcome of "Authors' Week" undoubtedly will be to increase the sales of books written by New Zealand authors. In appearance many of the modern volumes compare more than favourably with similar books published elsewhere, and many of the lighter works are eminently suitable for gift books for birthdays and festivals.

It is noteworthy that so far no Maori woman appears as the author of a book although acknowledgements of their help and" co-operation appear in some prefaces and dedications, they often being the possessors of great stores of tribal records and tradition.