LITERARY NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 18, 20 July 1935, Page 24

LITERARY NOTES

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

The winning manuscript in Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton's £1000 Autobiography Competition is by Igor Schwezoff, a Russian in exile. It is called "Borzoi: The Life of a Dancer.-

The 1935 Newdigate Prize, Oxford's most famous verse award, has been won by Freshman, Mr. A. W. Plowman, The subject chosen was "Canterbury." "

Captain Guy Rayment, who has translated a book called "Japan Must Fight Britain," has been Fleet Education Officer in the Mediterranean command since 1027. He was one of the first naval officers to be made a Japanese interpreter.

Dr. Philip Carrington, who has been appointed Bishop of Quebec, is represented in a "Treasury of New Zealand" verse by that tine pbera "Rangiora," in which he shows with much feeling how much history there is in this young country. Dr. Carrington's father was for some years Dean of Christchurch.

Autographed manuscripts of the late Sir Arthur Pinero's plays fetched very small prices at a recent sale. The following are some of the highest bids:—-"The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," £10; "The Notorious Mrs. Ebbsmith," £13; "Trelawny of the Wells," £17; "The Gay Lord Quex," £11; "His House in Order," £7 ss; and "A Wife Without a Smile," £1.

The cottages where Dickens wrote "Nicholas Nickleby" are to be pulled down. In the village is Ham House, in the Avenue of which Dickens staged the duel between Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Frederick Verisopht. On the other hand- better news comes from Stoke Pogefi. Here the land surrounding the churchyard, immortalised in Gray's "Elegy," has been turned into gardens to save it from building developments.

An Interesting notebook that belonged to Dr. Livingstone's daughter is being exhibited for the first time, at the Livingstone, " Memorial, Blantyre. Among tWe comments are: "1867, March 7. Frightful report of Papa's death." Then: "1868, January 19. The search party returned with the cheering news proving the horrible report false." Later again: "1888. April 21. The long-wished-for letter from dear Papa has come, setting all fears at rest." This report of his death' had been spread by some'of tils porters who ran away when .he was exploring tho country south ''of. Lake Nyasa.

"A few years ago," writes a correspondent of "John o' London" from British Columbia, "an important Western Canadian ' journal offered. a substantial reward for proof of an actual attack upon man by wolves. I was recently assured that the reward was never collected. Many stories were submitted, but they came always from second, third; or fourth-hand sources.

. . My own amateur experiences and the evidence of dozens of prospectors and trappers convinces me that, a wolf, either singly or in the pack, so fears the human scent that it will not approach a man, living or dead, even though pressed by hunger in mid-win-ter. In this debunking age the wo IE myth is due for overhaul, a process which may correct the Red Riding liood complex."