Robert Gibbings Now In
p. 49 · Read in the full issue
New Zealand
Will Write His Polynesian Book There
MR. ROBERT GIBBINGS, the well known Irish author, and his secre tary, Miss Patience Empson, arrived in Auckland in April after an 18 months’ tour of South Pacific islands to gather material for a new book.
Mr. Gibbings has written and illus trated four books, one of which, “Lovely is the Lee,” sold about half a million copies in the United States.
“Of all the islands, Samoa appealed to me most,” said Mr. Gibbings after his arrival. “In Samoa they still take a pride in their own traditions and retain their native dignity and hospitaltiy.”
In Tahiti, he thought, the native life had been completely absorbed by the French and Chinese. Nothing remained of old Tahiti. It was now hard to see a face in which there was not some trace of mixed ancestry. Even in the 18 years since he had last been there a noticeable change had taken place.
Mr. Gibbings plans to write his book in New Zealand, probably in Wellington, where he wifi have access to the Turn bull Memorial Library. Already he has forwarded four chapters of the new book to his publishers.
Miss Heather Innes is “Queen of Suva” in the “Queen of the Pacific” competition now being conducted in Sydney, Australia by the Victoria League. This is part of an Empire-wide scheme to raise funds for the rebuilding of the League’s head quarters in London.