Literary Issue—some Effort

We hope that by now most of you will have heard about the literary issue of Salient which is advertised around the College. Probably at one stage or another you have thought that it would never be published and that it was just another of the wild idealistic schemes of which some people think there is such a large number. But the conception of an issue of a college newspaper entirely devoted to the literary work of university students is not entirely new. If we remember correctly, Auckland produced a literary issue some few years ago. What makes this especial literary issue such a worthwhile project is the quality of the works in it, and the make-up of the paper as a paper.

It is very infrequent in the [unclear: history] of a university college in New Zealand that it harbours such a wealth of literary talent in so many various fields. In Baxter, Johnson and Campbell we have three poets who have already established themselves as three of New Zealand's leading poets; we have younger poets lead by A. I. H. Paterson; a promising short story-writer in Barry Mitcalfe, and any amount of critics of varying capabilities. There are many people who sent us stories and poems which we had not rom to print. Our size was based on an eight-page Salient folded twice to give us a booklet of thirty-two pages. At first there was some doubt in the Executive's mind whether or not this was an idealistic scheme, but enterprise triumphed after we had shown that with your help the Literary Issue (as it became officially called) would pay for itself. However, the editor and literary editor of Salient, on looking over the material offering, decided that the ordinary newsprint would not do justice to the excellence of the contributions and so asked the printer to print Salient on high-grade paper—which he has done.

This is the first time (as far as I am aware) that a college paper has altered its whole make-up and appearance—and the price—and gathered material worthy of such publications as Landfall or even Spike. The Literary Issue of Salient at its price (1/6) is the lowest-priced literary offering in the country. We hope that you will find that it is one of the best. It will not become a regular institution. We have usurped to some small extent the mantle of Spike, but next year we hope Spike will be resurrected. Do not think this is a Caxton Press effort—it is a local job by our ordinary printer. Mr. Lord of the Standard Press. but I think that you will be agreeably surprised when you see and read it.

T.H.H.