University Writers

Writers are a clannish lot, and naturally influence one another. But I do not believe they are much given to trying to educate and train one another in the art. I think one writer must allow another to learn and develop in his own way without interference. So in a group of creative writers much actual discussion or analysis of writing can be expected. This is better left to more purely academic and scholarly groups.

The one unique thing that a university can offer a group of writers is the opportunity of association free from outside interference. In recent years, it was the conscious intention to exclude established New Zealand writers from the university group.

The reason was that only in such isolation could a new approach to literature be developed. It would be too much to say that such an approach has appeared, but it is true that any writers who do emerge from this group will be unlike anything before seen in New Zealand and will reflect the mutual influence in the group.

There is no doubt that any book of real literary merit will reach publication by some channel, even though the author does not profit much by it, or that New Zealand offers various sorts of employment that permit the author to pursue his literary interests, after a fashion.

For instance, teaching. But at present, there is no chance of New Zealand supporting full-time literary artists.

My own solution to the publication problem has been to sponsor my own books or to find sponsors for them. In every case, the New Zealand writer is reaching publication by non-commercial means, at least in the first place.

Most of the publishing ventures that New Zealand writers have embarked on originated in the universities.

The prestige of literature leads many young people to try writing, but the total lack of finance means that few continue.

Those New Zealanders who do not give up in these circumstances must possess a Herculean dedication and must in due course find some sort of publication media. For a group of writers in the 1930's it was virtually a matter of setting up their own publishing firm. There is always the move to publish a magazine; Landfall is the most classy effort of this sort.

I shall hazard some guesses on the form of any literature we may produce. I may be describing my own work, but here goes.

• • It will have a more nihilistic basis than has been seen here before.
• • It will be unsentimental.
• • It will be humourous rather than tragic.

I am sure of this, that at least embryonically a new type of New Zealand literature has appeared in Victoria University in recent years. This may be a foundation which can be built on in future. Prospects such as this make the literary scene at Victoria an exciting one at the present time.