AID FOR AUTHORS IN N.Z.

Southland Times, Issue 25533, 29 November 1944, Page 4

AID FOR AUTHORS IN N.Z.

SUGGESTION FROM MR DENHAM (Special) WELLINGTON, Nov. 28. “In order to encourage literary culture in NeW Zealand, also to afford greater opportunities for potential authors, would the Minister during the early period of postwar years establish a State examining committee,” asked Mr W. M. C. Denham (Lab., Invercargill) in notice of a question to the Minister of Education, Mr Mason, in the House of Representatives today. Mr Denham suggested that the committee should have the following functions: To examine the work of aspiring authors with a view to determining its true literary merit apart from the commercial value, and to recommend Government financial assistance to writers whose work was of high merit, but the publication of whose writing in book form was beyond their means. In a note to his question Mr Denham said literature was the approach to knowledge—was a shaping force—and a country without its own literature was culturally starved. During the centennial' year, 1940, the Government showed an active interest in the publication of new books with very good results. The official report of the centennial literary competition showed that in the novel section there were 106 entries and of these about a dozen seemed well worthy of publication. It would be a loss to New Zealand if they remained unpublished.