FASHIONS IN BOOKS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 104, 29 October 1932, Page 8

FASHIONS IN BOOKS

THE CHANGING PUBLIC

DEMAND FOR BETTER TYPE

That there are fashions in books just aB there are fashions in clothing is evident from observations made by Miss Jane Mander, the well-known New Zealand authoress, who returned to Auckland by the Eangitiki on Thursday, after an absence abroad of 20 years, 11 of which were spent in New York, and the last nine in London. Miss Mander, who was born in Auckland, is staying with her father, ,Mr. F. Mander, and she expects to remain there indefinitely. Miss Mander has already had six books published,- and has been commissioned by a London publisher to write another novel of New Zealand life, for which, she intends to collect material almost immediately (states the "New Zealand Herald").

Miss Mander has three qualifications' which make- her opinions with 'regard j to books and writers of particular | value, for besides having written novels herself, she has for the past eight years been reading manuscripts for a London literary ag«nt and for different publishers, and she knows personally a large number of well-known writers. She is the only New Zealand writer to have had the honour of being a special guest at the famous Pen Club, in London, of which John Galsworthy is the president. Another interesting work which Miss Mander undertook for three years was the English editorship of a private printing press in Paris for the production of rare editions. LARGE SALE OF GOOD BOOKS. Miss Mander said there had, lately sprung up in England a great demand for the very long family novel, such as Clemence Dano's "Broome Stages" and Kate O'Brien's "Without My Cloak." Good books of this typo had experienced enormous sales in London during the past two or throe years. Another type of book which had become popular was that in which the story was laid in a foreign country, a fine Chinese novel by Pearl Buck, entitled "The Good Earth," being one example. In the last two years an enormous number of Continental novels had been translated into English and were proving very popular at Home. The detective novel and the war book were both showing signs of dropping a little in popularity. "There is coming rather a revolui tion against the cheap modern novel," Miss Mander said. "Some of the better publishers arc definitely out to try and get better work, and a most cheering thing in the modern noveL -world is the fact that such very goodbooks have had such large sales in the last half-dozen years." The modern publishing methods had educated a larger number of people to read novels. There was an immense amount of book publishing done in England now, the business having become a huge industry in London. '

"THE SOCIETY JOURNALIST.''

The difficulty which authors- from the colonies experienced in having their work accepted was mentioned by Miss Mandcr, who said the very large number of promising young English writers was one of the factors • militating against the success of'outsiders. It was found that the work of many South African, Canadian, Australian, aj^d New Zealand writers was rather crude as compared with much :pf tho very beautiful work done by-authors in England. There was #ie Australian authoress, however, •Henry:v;:;Handel Kichardson, to whom Miss- Mander-re-ferred with great pride. This ■-authoress had commenced-. writing tyrfinty years ago, but it was the last book of her trilogy of Australian life: which had brought her fame, and she was now acclaimed in London: as-one- of the best women writers of the, century.1 ' . ' Speaking of journalism, in England, Miss Mander referred to the increasing influx of society nicn 1 and women into this field of work. "They are a perfect pest," she said, '• "Many of them who have no need to work 'contribute cheap articles for the' London Press, which are accepted a,nd . published solely because of the titled name which cah.be appended to the article." Many of the . older writers of great merit were starving in London as the result .of the "society .journalist."