For a century now, one publication has not only nourished New Zealand's young readers and sparked their imaginations, but nurtured New Zealand's creative community as well.

The School Journal set out to provide young readers with stories, plays, articles and poems relevant to their lives. Along the way it has given many New Zealand writers and artists their first break and a source of income, while offering a forum for quality work.

Celebrating our imagination

To celebrate the School Journal's centenary, an exhibition A Nest of Singing Birds: 100 years of the New Zealand School Journal is being held at the National Library from 23 April to 21 July.

The "nest of singing birds" in the title - a quote from Dr Samuel Johnson - refers to School Publications, the editorial office of the School Journal. School Publications attracted some of New Zealand's most distinguished writers and artists as staff, including poets Alistair Campbell and James K. Baxter, playwright Roger Hall, writers Jack Lasenby and Anthony Alpers, and artists Roy Cowan and Juliet Peter.

A book of the same name is being published by Learning Media, who now publish the School Journal on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

Artists' work

Curator and author Gregory O'Brien says the book focuses on the artists and writers who have been central to the Journal, "a great many of whom also played a major part in the development of New Zealand arts and literature beyond the pages of the School Journal."

Writers who contributed to the Journal have included Frank Sargeson, Janet Frame, Elsie Locke, Witi Ihimaera, Patricia Grace, Joy Cowley, David Hill and Norman Bilbrough.

Enter Margaret Mahy

Margaret Mahy, arguably New Zealand's most famous writer for children, published her first stories in the School Journal and went on to contribute over seventy stories and poems. Her first appearance in the School Publications office, sometime around 1960, has become legendary.

"One day in came this woman who told me that she had a yen to write," recalls John Kelly, Journal editor from 1955 to 1962, in A Nest of Singing Birds.

"She told me that she lived in a very strange, dark, damp house under the pine trees in Ohariu Valley, where wolves howled in the night and owls moreporked, and she wouldn't have been in the least surprised if witches flew around, and there was the odd bubble of cauldrons here and there, and, all in all, a very fey woman was she."

Mahy's witches flew into the Journal in 1961 with the story "Teddy and the Witches" and appeared later in the year in two poems, "The Witch, My Sister" and "Witch Poem".

In 1965 the School Journal devoted two issues solely to her work - A Lion in the Meadow and The Midnight People. These and other Mahy works attracted the attention of American publishers when they featured in a School Publications display in 1969. From that time, her stories were published around the world in many languages.

"I owe the Journal a great deal," says Mahy in A Nest of Singing Birds.

Original illustrations

The dreamlike work of School Journal art editor Jill McDonald was a perfect match for Mahy's imaginative stories.

McDonald trained as an architect and started illustrating for the School Journal in the 1950s. As art editor from 1959 to 1965, she injected more colour and humour into the Journal's pages.

"The only overall credo I've ever had regarding books for children," wrote McDonald, "is that if they look entertaining or exciting or amusing enough to be worth the effort of reading them, children will make that effort."

McDonald left the Journal office and New Zealand in 1965, when she moved to work at Penguin Books in England. She was charged with reinvigorating their children's imprint, Puffin Books.

The playfulness of McDonald's artwork is evident in the original pieces she created for the Journal, displayed in the exhibition A Nest of Singing Birds. The exhibition also features original works from great New Zealand artists Juliet Peter, E. Mervyn Taylor, Dick Frizzell, Rita Angus and Colin McCahon.

The exhibition and book offer every New Zealander a glimpse of their childhood and the opportunity to view works from New Zealand's best writers and artists.

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Article provided by Learning Media, based on excerpts of 'A Nest of Singing Birds: 100 years of the New Zealand School Journal' by Gregory O'Brien, published by Learning Media.

Jill McDonald cover illustration, School Journal, Part 1, Number 5, 1965.