HOME TO NEW ZEALAND

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21185, 4 November 1938, Page 12

HOME TO NEW ZEALAND

RETURN OF NOVELIST The well-known New Zealand novelist, Miss Nelle Scanlan, arrived from England by way of South Africa and Australia in the Awatea from Sydney on Saturday. She brought a motor car with her and proposes to spend at least the whole of the coming summer motoring in both islands and at the same time writing her next book. “I have come for a breath of New Zealand again,” said Miss Scanlan when interviewed. “I have recently motored 25,000 miles in Great Britain and thought I would like to do the same in my own country. I will also write my next book while I am here. I have not started it yet, but hope it will be in the publisher’s hands by the end of the summer.” Visited South Africa Miss Scanlan left London on August 1 and spent a few days in South Africa ion her way. “I was struck by the evidence on all sides of the growing influence of the Afrikaans there,” she said. “To enter a British Dominion and find the majority of the people speaking a language I could not understand was something of a shock to me. It has been made a rule now that all civil servants must be able to speak Afrikaans, and the result is that the Afrikaans will soon completely dominate the public survice.” Miss Scanlan said that the existence of two languages—Afrikaans and English—in South Africa presented all sorts of difficulties. All public announcements had to be made in both languages, broadcasts had to be similarly duplicated, and newspapers in both languages were necessary. The British and Afrikaans flags were always flown together and there were other signs of the growing power of this "nation within a nation.” Did Australian Friends The journey to New Zealand was broken again in Australia and Miss Scanlan said she met many old friends there and was very hospitably treated. She is keenly looking forward to her coming sojourn in New Zealand. Her home is in London, and she has met there many New Zealanders who have made names for themselves in various branches of art and journalism. Many of them, she said, had expressed their intention to visit New Zealand during the centennial celebrations. Miss Scanlon proposes to make the return journey to London via America and Canada.