Copy-cats
Si",—Miss Noel Streatfeild is surely a little too pessimistic in her conclusions. I would suggest that if there is any villain of the piece it is the magazine in question—with the connivance of Miss Streatfeild —that encourages children of immature age to write long stories.
Remembering my own youth, I would say that any fourteen-year-old who was stimulated to write 40,000=70,000 words would, except in the rarest cases, produce purely imitative tripe. At about twelve years old I planned an enormous historical novel in imitation of Lester Arnold's Phra the Phoenician. I did not finish it, but if I had it would have merited all Miss Streatfeild's acid comment. I also wrote reams of horribly imitative verse. I am not, I trust, setting myself up as a distinguished author if I claim that such juvenilia should not be' finally held against me; but I do suggest that if one offers prizes for children to induce them to write immense works one deserves what one gets. Daisy Ashfords are very rare. In conclusion, if Miss Streatfeild would substitute for the word " copycat " the phrase " sedulous ape," which was used by a great writer to describe the state of mind of an aspirant to the literary profession, she might find herself less despondent.—Yours faithfully,
MARGARET COLE.
Freeland, 74 Holders Hill Road, Hendon, N.W.4.
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