Cirrus@Austlit

'With the growth of the Australian novel there is coming slowly a recognition by the Australian reading public, a public which has usually been either scoffing or indifferent. Many of our writers have had their works accepted by English publishers whose advisory readers possess little or no idea of life in our country. This fact has accounted in a measure for the publication of much mediocre work. Any Australian who has been abroad can tell amusing stories of the ignorance in England of things pertaining to Australia, far surpassing the Australian lack of knowledge of British or European affairs, isolated though we might be.' (Source: Introduction)