--------------------------------------------------------------- ._________. ||||||||| NATIONAL LIBRARY Oral History Transcripts IIIIIIIII OF AUSTRALIA /=========\ --------------------------------------------------------------- Title: A.G. Smith interviewed by Suzanne Walker [sound recording] Date Issued: 11 September 1973 Summary: A.G. Smith, former editor, bookseller, Managing Director of Robertson and Mullens and General Manager of Angus & Robertson, Melbourne, reflects on his career in bookselling and publishing in New Zealand and Australia. He describes his early life; joining Whitcombe & Tombs (NZ); attending Canterbury University College; publishing verse in the College Review; meeting A.P. Herbert, Punch humourist; George Robertson; rewriting an English textbook; selling school books in Australia during Depression; rewriting Qld geography textbook; managing Retail Dept., Dunedin; supply of Nelle Scanlan's Pencarrow; publishers' representatives, 1920s-30s incl. Bill Smart (Hodder & Stoughton), Jack Kissling (Dent), Avon Davies (Cassell); resignation, new position at Book Depot, Melbourne; joining A&R in 1947; working with Albert Ritchie; Hill of Content takeover; first A&R shop in Melbourne, 1951; relations with other Melbourne booksellers; visits from Willie Collins, Robert McNamara (Scotts Forseman); Walter Burns, A&R Director; takeover of Robertson and Mullens; Burns dropped from A&R Board; car accident & wife's death; buy back from Packer of A&R shares; fall through of sale of Harry Sleeman's Collins Book Depot; expulsion from Govt House, Wellington, 1931; NZ book scene, 1920s-1930s; supply of stock from London; book buying; Wheatley's Forbidden Territory; book prices; wartime paper shortages; Whitcombe's colleagues Cameron, Chafey, Walker; visit from Jonathan Cape; Australian associate's incl. Frank Cheshire, Frank Fabini, Albert Spencer, Bob McNamara; authors Henry Lawson, Frank Clune, Jack Idriess, E.V. Timms; illustrator Hal Gye; overseas booksellers; changes in bookselling; training, knowledge required; effect of paperback on modern book trade; net book agreement. Restrictions: Access open for research, personal copies and public use. Location: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-214947934 The full transcript is not available. Session 1 --------- At time 00:00:00 Summary: Introduction, birth, Queen’s death, left Plymouth 1908, father interested in Devon, statue of Drake. Keywords: Arthur G. Smith, Queen Victoria, Plymouth, England, Devonport, Stonehouse, Sir Francis Drake, Devon At time 00:03:42 Summary: Personal memory, picnics on the moor, riding with father, lunch, wandering, met three men, unusually dressed. Keywords: Dartmoor At time 00:06:57 Summary: Didn’t understand encounter, told father, advised keep silent, circularity of time, father read to children, memories. Keywords: Dartmoor, John William Dunne, ‘An Experiment with Time’, Charles Kingley, ‘Westward Ho!’, Devon, England, Sir Francis Drake At time 00:10:40 Summary: 1908, moved to New Zealand, started farm, offered church, moved to Ohakune, small town, enjoyed roaming bush. Keywords: S. S. Paparoa, Stratford, Taranaki, Ohakune, North Island, Mt Ruapehu, forest, saw mills At time 00:13:21 Summary: School headmaster, alpinist, took students mountain climbing, memories of climb, descent, lasting memory. Keywords: Joe Bligh, Mt Ruapehu, glacier, glissading At time 00:16:19 Summary: Moved to Palmerston North for secondary school, private board, top ranking, reputation for sport and academics. Keywords: Palmerston North, New Zealand, Eric Horn, Palmerston North Boys’ High School At time 00:18:26 Summary: Learned sport, represented school, later represented New Zealand, interest in books, joined late, missed enrolment, special English literature class. Keywords: Cricket, Football, Hockey, Rugby Union, Palmerston North Boys’ High School At time 00:20:59 Summary: Form master taught class, shared love of literature, poetry, lasting memories, lost teachers during WWI. Keywords: Henry Devenish Skinner, The Otago Museum, Dunedin, New Zealand, John Milton, ‘Paradise Lost’, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, ‘In Memoriam’, World War I At time 00:23:30 Summary: Family moved to Greendale, beautiful area, mountains, rivers, moved schools, commuting, sports, schoolwork unchallenging, quality of teachers. Keywords: Greendale, New Zealand, South Island, Christchurch, Canterbury Plains, Southern Alps, Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Christchurch West High School, Aylesbury At time 00:25:49 Summary: Set speed record, played cricket, hockey, loved history, literature, hated math, unhappy at school, exam for public service. Keywords: cricket, hockey, Christchurch West High School At time 00:28:26 Summary: Push for white-collar job, pupil teaching, lack of men, didn’t enjoy, passed all certificates. Keywords: Canterbury, New Zealand, Fendalton Open Air School, World War I At time 00:31:09 Summary: Crisis, job in publishing, few avenues, no more teaching, wrote to bookstore, called for interview, begins company overview. Keywords: New Zealand, Whitcombe & Tombs At time 00:33:19 Summary: Branches, history, stationary, books, printing works, publishing department, interview with Bertie, respect, liking. Keywords: Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin, New Zealand, Whitcombe & Tombs, George Hawkes Whitcombe, George Tombs, Bertie Ernest Hawkes Whitcombe At time 00:35:46 Summary: Bertie’s family, managing director, cadets, interested in printing, ‘book men’, higher salary. Keywords: Bertie Whitcombe, George Hawkes Whitcombe, New Zealand Printers’ Association At time 00:38:14 Summary: Interview with Bertie, leaving teaching, cadet, editorial department, learn about paper, printing works, move up. Keywords: Bertie Whitcombe, Cashel Street, Christchurch, New Zealand At time 00:40:29 Summary: Worked very hard 8-9 months, Bill Lee, papers, editorial department, editor-in-chief, first print, proofs, printing. Keywords: Arnold Wilfrid Shrimpton M. A., Alen E. Mulgan, ‘Maori and Pakeha; A History of New Zealand’ At time 00:43:08 Summary: Shrimpton, teacher, educational publishing, knowledgeable, university lectures evenings, strenuous swotting, financial difficulty. Keywords: A. W. Shrimpton M. A., educational publishing At time 00:46:36 Summary: History major, professors, heavy workload, enjoyable, 50th anniversary anthology, wrote poetry in College Review, verse enshrined. Keywords: Canterbury University College, University of New Zealand At time 00:50:18 Summary: Law professor, anthology editor, interactions with Alpers, poem included in anthology. Keywords: Oscar Thorwald Johan Alpers, Whitcombe & Tombs, A. W. Shrimpton At time 00:54:48 Summary: Recites poem, wrote for newspaper, article on Drake, contributed over years, literary assistant editor, manuscripts, page proofs. Keywords: Oscar Thorwald Johan Alpers, Christchurch Press, Sir Francis Drake, A. W. Shrimpton, ‘Maori and Pakeha; A History of New Zealand’ At time 00:58:12 Summary: Educational books, publishing, storybook series, adaption of classics, educational representative, working with Wheaton, move to Melbourne. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, Wheaton, Devonshire, England, Melbourne, Australia At time 01:01:54 Summary: Travel to Sydney, met Herbert in saloon, impressions, fortnight in Sydney with instructions, experience in Sydney. Keywords: A. P. Herbert, Frank Tate, George Robertson, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, Australia, Sydney Harbour Bridge At time 01:05:06 Summary: Meeting Robertson, loyalty, manager in Melbourne disagreeable, miserable, revising proofs, books. Keywords: George Robertson, Angus and Robertson, Henry Lawson, Melbourne, Australia, Charles Richard Long, ‘Foundations of the Australian States’ At time 01:08:22 Summary: Return to New Zealand, second trip to Melbourne, manager still disagreeable, government initiative, new textbooks, finding authors, manuscripts. Keywords: Christchurch, New Zealand, Melbourne, Australia, ‘An Australian Bird Book’, John Albert Leach, Whitcombe & Tombs, William Watson Bird At time 01:10:58 Summary: Rushed job, subjects, outlines, proofs for approval by chief inspector of schools, weekly trips, effective, problems with English book. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, history, geography, English, Wellington, New Zealand, William Watson Bird At time 01:15:25 Summary: Bird wouldn’t accept, Smith wrote book himself, manuscript accepted, Sydney branch, relieved manager, selling schoolbooks around country. Keywords: A. W. Shrimpton, William Watson Bird, Sydney, Australia, Newcastle, New England, Brisbane, the Depression At time 01:18:40 Summary: Tough assignment, respect for teachers, parent associations, raising money, fresh Queensland syllabus, met education chief inspector, manuscript unsatisfactory. Keywords: The Depression, Brisbane, Queensland, ‘Live Readers’, human geographies, Indooroopilly, Whitcombe & Tombs At time 01:22:14 Summary: Rewrote book himself, approved, returned to New Zealand, travelling, fraud scandal, took over branch, no retail experience. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch, New Zealand, A. W. Shrimpton, Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin At time 01:26:06 Summary: New challenges, advice from book men, worried about buying, Gerald, Bicknor, well trained, felt short-changed, issues resolved. Keywords: Dunedin, New Zealand, Gerald Whitcombe, Hatchards Bookstore At time 01:30:41 Summary: Bicknor very knowledgeable, not impressed by Hatchards, Scottish influence, bookselling in Dunedin, happy, free hand. Keywords: Hatchards Bookstore, Piccadilly, London, Dunedin, New Zealand At time 01:33:24 Summary: Scanlan’s personality, market for books, on tour in New Zealand, no copies anywhere, insurance wharfie dispute. Keywords: Ellen Margaret (Nelle) Scanlan, ‘Pencarrow’ novels, Whitcome & Tombs, Christchurch, Auckland, Dunedin At time 01:37:47 Summary: Scanlan en route, dispute resolved, books still missing, Bicknor hastily arranged display as Scanlan complained in office, conflict averted. Keywords: Nelle Scanlan, Gerald Whitcombe, Dunedin, New Zealand, Whitcombe & Tombs At time 01:44:22 Summary: Publisher’s representatives, heyday from 20s to 40s, good book men, transporting books, travelling, sampling, ordering. Keywords: England, Australia, New Zealand, sample room At time 01:48:03 Summary: Smart was excellent book man, Kissling friendship, knowledgeable, first meeting, cricket, dissolved partnership, ran Metropolitan Golf Club. Keywords: Bill Smart, Hodder & Stoughton, John (Jack) Kissling, Sir Walter Nash, Dent, Melbourne, Australia, Metropolitan Golf Club At time 01:52:11 Summary: Lived in New Zealand, helpful, witty, book men made yearly trips, sampling, Miller, heyday has passed, trends altering. Keywords: Avon Davies, Cassell, New Zealand, Dunedin, Oxford University Press, Heinemann Publishing, John Murray, World War II, Eddie Bartholomew At time 01:56:33 Summary: Found no room for growth in company, insulting salary negotiations, resigned, began networking, maintained relationship with Bertie. Keywords: Dunedin, New Zealand, Whitcombe & Tombs, Bill Smart, Bertie Whitcombe, Timaru At time 02:03:00 Summary: Offered job in Melbourne, sailed over, interviewed by board, poor stock condition, Methodist parsons, laymen. Keywords: Bill Smart, Hodder & Stoughton, Collins Book Depot, 288 Lt Collins St, Melbourne, Australia, SS Aorangi At time 02:07:39 Summary: Book Grocer owner, personality, revamp of shop, sale, restock, liasing with A&R, window display. Keywords: The Book Steward, Collins Book Depot, World War II, Angus and Robertson (A&R) At time 02:09:29 Summary: End of session Session 1 --------- At time 00:00:00 Summary: Window display, good business, barely successful, getting rid of stock, short-term loss, long-term profit, salary. Keywords: Angus and Robertson (A&R), Collins Book Depot At time 00:03:35 Summary: Parsons tried controlling stock, enjoyed work, offered job in Sydney, while deciding was called for jury duty. Keywords: Charles Harold Peters, Robertson & Mullens, Frank Walter Cheshire, Angus & Robertson, Walter Cousins, Sydney, Australia At time 00:08:25 Summary: Decided to move, retail manager position, five controlling directors, uncomfortable first months, relationship with Cousins. Keywords: Walter Cousins, George Ferguson, November 1947, Angus & Robertson At time 00:11:01 Summary: A&R authors, friendship with Timms, plot issues, Cousins’ death, bad relationship with Ritchie, work ethic. Keywords: Angus & Robertson (A&R), Walter Cousins, Ion Idriess, Francis Clune, E. V Timms, George Robertson, Albert Ritchie At time 00:16:01 Summary: Butting heads with Ritchie, apologised, relationship improved, new branch, starting from scratch, bought property, opened October 1951. Keywords: Albert Ritchie, Masons, Melbourne, Australia, Hill of Content, 66 Elizabeth Street, Angus & Robertson At time 00:21:32 Summary: Invested in new branch, moved permanently to Brighton, bottom floor milk bar issues, layout of building. Keywords: Brighton, Victoria, Angus & Robertson (A&R), fiction, technical, medical, educational and administration sections At time 00:23:56 Summary: Accountant, staffing various departments, creating reputation in Melbourne, competition among retailers, took many years. Keywords: Richard Lovell, medical book trade, technical department, general books, Robert Drake, Angus & Robertson, Robertson & Mullens, Collins Book Depot At time 00:28:20 Summary: Enjoyed his time, worked day and night, passion for books, gradual success, friendship with opposition. Keywords: Angus & Robertson, Charles Harold Peters, Frank Cheshire At time 00:31:29 Summary: Visiting book men, efficiency of publishing distribution, layout, content, visited Winnetka, publishing plant opening, advanced, friendship with McNamara. Keywords: William Collins, Paul Williams, Robert McNamara, Scott Foresman & Company, Winnetka, Illinois, United States At time 00:34:55 Summary: Change of regime, Burns was business minded director, rumours flying, visited Melbourne. Keywords: Angus & Robertson (A&R), Walter Vincent Burns, Sydney, Australia, Albert Ritchie At time 00:38:23 Summary: Burns arrived, gave tour, conversed at length, buying out rival retailers, agreed to takeover Mullens. Keywords: Walter Vincent Burns, Robertson & Mullens, Collins Book Depot, F. W. Cheshire Pty. Ltd At time 00:43:23 Summary: Smith to oversee takeover, made offer with broker, mostly favourably received, promised managing director role. Keywords: Robertson & Mullens, Walter Vincent Burns, Greg Campbell At time 00:46:02 Summary: Public company until deregistered, Burns instated friends as directors, became managing director, felt let down, lost trust. Keywords: Angus, Robertson & Mullens, Walter Vincent Burns At time 00:50:13 Summary: Inspecting new acquisitions, ordered to sack disabled R&M employee, refused, threatened to walk, became enemies. Keywords: Walter Vincent Burns, Robertson & Mullens (R&M) At time 00:53:31 Summary: R&M branches, harboured resentment, successful printing work, got along with printer, lost old R&M staff. Keywords: Robertson & Mullens (R&M), Albury, Ballarat, J Ewens & Sons, Moe, Walter Vincent Burns, Elsternwick, F. A. Stevens, Angus & Robertson At time 00:58:05 Summary: Staff unhappy, many resigned, Burns created subsidiaries, bought out more retailers, using R&M shareholders to take down Burns. Keywords: Walter Vincent Burns, Swain and Co, Pitt St, Robinsons, Perth, Australia, Robertson & Mullens (R&M), George Ferguson, Sydney, Mick Swain (Arthur Newling) At time 01:02:35 Summary: Going against Burns using shareholders, annual meeting, R&M proxies used to kick Burns out, lost promotion again. Keywords: Walter Vincent Burns, Robertson & Mullens (R&M), George Ferguson, Mick Swain (Arthur Newling) At time 01:05:58 Summary: Closing Moe branch, wife had heart attack, dying, took her travelling with family, car crash, wife died, serious injuries. Keywords: Robertson & Mullens (R&M), George Ferguson, Mick Swain (Arthur Newling) At time 01:10:07 Summary: Hospital stay, return to R&M, newly elected staff positions, became managing director, Swain opened Chadstone branch. Keywords: Mick Swain (Arthur Newling), George Ferguson, Robertson & Mullens (R&M), Chadstone Shopping Centre, Angus & Robertson At time 01:13:36 Summary: Overworked, unwell, took a refreshing trip, Packer buying shares, had to buy back, A&R R&M integration, mixing staff. Keywords: Vancouver, Canada, Los Angeles, United States, Frank Packer At time 01:16:47 Summary: Blood pressure, overworking, advised to resign, retired from A&R and R&M, amicable parting, travelling. Keywords: Robertson & Mullens (R&M), Angus and Robertson (A&R), Melbourne, Australia, England At time 01:20:40 Summary: Approached by Slaman, maverick, kept to himself, rumours of cutting prices, lunch meetings, death premonition. Keywords: Robertson & Mullens (R&M), Walter Vincent Burns, Frederick Henry (Harry) Slaman, Collins Book Depot, Booksellers’ Association At time 01:25:30 Summary: Slaman offered Depot for sale, acted as intermediary, A&R board accepted, one meeting, Slaman was nervous. Keywords: Frederick Henry (Harry) Slaman, Angus & Robertson (A&R), George Ferguson, Collins Book Depot At time 01:30:22 Summary: Lost the buyout, board member unwittingly insulted Slaman, died soon after, after retirement, wife offered Smith job, declined. Keywords: Frederick Henry (Harry) Slaman, Collins Book Depot At time 01:33:21 Summary: Bizarre incident, thrown out of Government House, Royal Agricultural Show inauguration, learned address, publishing offer, publishing independently. Keywords: Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, Whitcombe & Tombs At time 01:37:24 Summary: Printed, proceeds to charity, unhappy with sales, educational department crisis, temporary manager, sales discussion with Lord Bledisloe. Keywords: Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, Whitcombe & Tombs, Wellington, New Zealand, Whittaker, Louis Whitcombe At time 01:42:11 Summary: Government House meeting, unsatisfied with sales, unreasonable, meeting became hostile, Louis insulted Bledisloe. Keywords: Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, Whitcombe & Tombs, Louis Whitcombe, Wellington, New Zealand, Whittaker At time 01:45:02 Summary: Escorted out, Louis relieved of all duties, attempted opposition printing firm, failed, became alcoholic, died in rehab. Keywords: Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, Whitcombe & Tombs, Louis Whitcombe, Wellington, New Zealand, Rotoroa Island, Lake Rotoroa At time 01:48:32 Summary: Best bookshops, stationary, printing departments, buyout, fifth branch, stranglehold on book trade, rivals. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, Heinemann Publishing, Timaru, New Zealand, Simpson & Williams, Dunedin, Depression At time 01:51:15 Summary: Few bookshops left after Depression, second-hand bookshops, some successful, supported by university, other remaining bookstores. Keywords: Depression, Driver’s Ltd, Whitcombe & Tombs, Dunedin, New Zealand, Auckland, Hamilton, Waikato, Paul’s Ltd At time 01:55:19 Summary: London organisation, send senior staff for training, poor communication methods, liaising with publishers, sending fiction by post, case. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, London, England At time 01:58:10 Summary: Branch code, list of authors, sales projections, book market in London, proof copies sent to New Zealand. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, London, England, market, Dennis Wheatley, ‘Forbidden Territory’, Hutchinsons, Depression At time 02:02:42 Summary: Book well-received, reprinted many more copies, good seller, wrote to Wheatley, replied thanking branch for excellent sales. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, London, England, market, Dennis Wheatley, ‘Forbidden Territory’, Hutchinsons, Dunedin At time 02:05:25 Summary: Cost of novels in each country, fiction prices agreement, Colonial Cloth, half-price, non-fiction, individual publishers agreement, discounts. Keywords: New Zealand, Australia, England, Whitcombe & Tombs At time 02:09:26 Summary: End of session Session 1 --------- At time 00:00:00 Summary: Started small successful publishing department, prisoner of war story, paper scarcity, published book. Keywords: Collins Book Depot, World War II, Edwin Norman Broomhead, ‘Barbed Wire in the Sunset’ At time 00:03:21 Summary: Book immediate success, sold out quickly, other successful books, paper allotment increased slowly, Methodist devotional books, Macdonnell success. Keywords: Collins Book Depot, World War II, Edwin Norman Broomhead, ‘Barbed Wire in the Sunset’, ‘Fleet Destroyer’, J. E. Macdonnell At time 00:06:44 Summary: Macdonnell moved publishers, never forgot Smith, exciting venture, neighbour submitted manuscript, prisoner of war story. Keywords: J. E. Macdonnell, Collins Book Depot, Angus & Robertson (A&R), World War II, Agnes Betty Jeffrey At time 00:10:37 Summary: Waiting for A&R acceptance, difficult to convince them it was a bestseller, very successful, part of Australian history. Keywords: Angus & Robertson (A&R), World War II, Agnes Betty Jeffrey, ‘White Coolies’, George Ferguson At time 00:14:19 Summary: Famous book men, Cameron, English trained, passed on knowledge, personality, Chafey, Australia trained, temperament, knowledge, buyers. Keywords: Dunedin, New Zealand, Roberston & Mullens (R&M), Christchurch At time 00:18:24 Summary: Cape’s book department propositions, visit from England, bargaining with Whitcombe & Tombs. Keywords: Jonathan Cape, Dunedin, New Zealand, Cameron, Chafey, W. A. Smith and Son, Bertie Whitcombe At time 00:21:43 Summary: Colleague, Walker, trained at Timms, other good book men, G. H Bennett, trained in London, Cheshire friendship. Keywords: Christopher Murphy, Palmerston North, Charles Harold Peters, Robertson & Mullens (R&M), Frank Cheshire, Whitcombe & Tombs At time 00:25:32 Summary: Signed naturalisation papers, Fabini good book man, Dickens successful book man, persona, surname. Keywords: Frank Cheshire, Andrew Fabini, Frederick Henry (Harry) Slaman, Collins Book Depot, Charles Dickens At time 00:28:46 Summary: Spencer regarded very highly, A&R trained, buyout, sale of stock, long standing friendship, training at A&R. Keywords: Albert Henry Spencer, Hill of Content, Bourke St, Melbourne, Australia, Angus & Robertson (A&R), George Robertson, ‘Hill of Content’ At time 00:32:38 Summary: Spencer’s England trip after retirement, wife’s death, memoirs, Smith brought him back to A&R, serving customers, independence, retirement. Keywords: Albert Henry Spencer, William Shakespeare, Angus & Robertson (A&R) At time 00:36:20 Summary: Maintained friendship, admired Spencer, good publishers, displaying textbooks, Cape enjoyed wines, drinking together, interview regarding censorship. Keywords: Albert Henry Spencer, Jonathan Cape, Dunedin, New Zealand, National Teacher’s Summer School, Whitcombe & Tombs, New Plymouth, Hawk’s Bay At time 00:40:19 Summary: Cape’s interview, gave views on censorship, got in trouble over comments, Williams set up agency in Australia. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, Jonathan Cape, Bertie Whitcombe, Paul Hodder-Williams At time 00:43:07 Summary: McNamaras enjoyed travelling, visited Australia many times, after accident, visited them, made friends, Robert’s background, travelling sales. Keywords: Robert McNamara, Scott Foresman & Company, Helen McNamara, George Ferguson, Winnetka, Illinois, United States, Princeton University At time 00:46:47 Summary: Continues Robert’s story, success in firm, growth, invested heavily, became director, personality, Thanksgiving, death, Australian authors, meeting Lawson. Keywords: Robert McNamara, Scott Foresman & Company, Winnetka, Illinois, United States, Henry Lawson, George Robertson At time 00:50:07 Summary: Australian authors, memories of Clune, impressions of Idriess, favourite was Timms, historical fiction, contribution to Australian literature. Keywords: Francis Clune, Angus & Robertson (A&R), Ion Idriess, E. V. Timms At time 00:53:20 Summary: Met Dennis’ illustrator, press launch in Melbourne, publicity for new edition, luncheon, Gye entertaining pressmen. Keywords: C. J. Dennis, Hal Gye, Angus and Robertson (A&R), ‘The Sentimental Bloke’, George Ferguson, Hotel Australia, The Age, At time 00:57:20 Summary: Gye illustrated verse for luncheon, best sale in career, two complete sets of dictionary, details of sale. Keywords: Hal Gye, C. J. Dennis, The Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press At time 01:00:25 Summary: While travelling compared bookshops internationally, impressed, book woman, second-hand bookshops, very impressed, filled commissions. Keywords: San Francisco, California, United States, Winnetka, Illinois, London, England, Charing Cross Road At time 01:04:21 Summary: Leading UK booksellers, similar to Australia, New Zealand, high rent, crowded, London, book display, unimpressed with Hatchards. Keywords: W. H. Smith & Sons, England, Hatchards, Piccadilly, William Collins At time 01:07:32 Summary: Very impressive, top-notch book man Wilson, courteous, displays differ between English and Australian stores, crowded, dark, well-trained. Keywords: Harrods, London, England At time 01:10:34 Summary: Head came to visit, amiable man, modest, met again in London, offered job, declined. Keywords: Melbourne, Australia, W. H. Smith & Sons, London, England At time 01:12:44 Summary: Changes in bookselling, publishing, book format, novel, future of the trade, foresees difficulties, importance of training, experience, service. Keywords: Whitcombe & Tombs, Paul Hamlyn, Angus & Robertson (A&R) At time 01:16:48 Summary: Accumulation of knowledge criticism of young booksellers, no future, money, strong passion for books. Keywords: Paul Hamlyn, Frank Cheshire At time 01:19:57 Summary: Effect of paperback on modern book trade, Nelson’s original, Lane’s version, attractive format, well-known authors. Keywords: Penguin Group, Thomas Nelson & Sons, Sir Allan Lane, Eric Linklater, Shelley Gordon At time 01:23:10 Summary: Booksellers arrangement with Lane to sell, spawned revolution of paperbacks, impact on trade, more books, wider public consumption. Keywords: Penguin Group, Woolworths, Sir Allan Lane At time 01:26:01 Summary: Explains agreement, regulations surrounding retail prices, fought to keep intact, stopped price-cutting, discounts, libraries, schools. Keywords: Net Book Agreement, Australia, New Zealand, England, pricing, discounts At time 01:30:41 Summary: End of session End of transcript