Normally, Australia’s Writers could be expected to attract the special atten­tion of critics. However, by sensible use of his preface and the quality of his book's contents, Graeme Kinross Smith has minimised the possibility of adverse comment. Carefully, he sets out the guidelines adopted for the fifty- four essays that range from two to ten pages each, start with Captain Arthur Phillip and close with Rosemary Dob­ son. Stressing 'the distinctive and fascinating' tradition of Australian literature and the book's purpose in giving an insight into that tradition, Graeme Kinross Smith writes: