Australian Writers Sunny Side Up

Probably the most fitting contribution to Australia's “Book Week”, November 10-17, is journalist John Hetherington’s “Forty- Two Faces”—profiles of that many living Australian writers.

Most of these pieces have already appeared in the Melbourne Age, but students, journalists and just the ordinary, interested by stander will like to have the collection in one neat volume.

While the 42 can’t be considered the last word on who are the top Australian writers—there are a few obvious applicants missing —the cross-section is comprehensive and the writers range in age from the doyen of the group, Walter Murdoch, 88, to the baby, 27-years-old Randolph Stow (To the Islands, etc.).

Kylie Tennant is there, and lon Idriess, Arthur Upheld, Colin Simpson, Morris West, Olaf Ruhen, Alan Moorehead, Jon Cleary, and husband and wife team, D’Arcy Niland and Ruth Park.

But by no stretch of the imagination can the biographies be called critical. Possibly because they first saw the light of day as newspaper feature articles, they determinedly turn the sunny side of each character to the viewing public.

If the world henceforth sees Australia’s leading penmen as untemperamental characters of sterling worth, with never a mood or a kink, and logical even in their idiosyncrasies, it is not the fault of their friend and colleague, John Hetherington.

Nonetheless this glimpse into the backgrounds of some of the people who have given others many hours of entertainment and pleasure is well worthwhile. It has 42 pictures of the 42 faces. (FORTY-TWO FACES. Published by F. W. Cheshire. 35/-.)