A for Artemis

This satirical novel, published in 1960, deals with the relationship between Australian politicians and the media. The central character, Oliver Goldfish, is, like the author, a newspaper journalist. Early in the novel, Goldfish is called before the editor and sacked. In response he calls the editor a bastard. When, however, an influential tycoon meets the editor and told how wonderful Goldfish's writing is, the editor has not only to re-employ Goldfish but to give him a promotion. Later Goldfish is at the centre of the media tussle over the Senate elections in which alphabetical order is hugely significant. His newspaper's favoured candidate, Artemis Aars, is an immigrant Dutchman. When the whole scheme has been completed, Goldfish is no longer needed and is sent on an obscure reporting trip to Tibet and Afghanistan.

The author, Leslie Haylen (born 23 September 1898), wrote this novel using the pseudonym Sutton Woodfield. His early childhood was spent in rural New South Wales before the family moved to Sydney in 1908. On leaving high school, he worked as a bank clerk before enlisting in the army in July 1918. His troop ship embarked for Europe in October but was recalled and he was subsequently discharged in January 1919. He re-enlisted in June and served as part of a military escort accompanying German prisoners of war being repatriated. Afterwards he worked as a journalist, first in Sydney and then in Wagga Wagga. His first play, Two Minutes' Silence, appeared in 1930. An anti-war drama, it was well received and ran for 26 weeks in Sydney. He moved back to Sydney in 1933 to be news editor of the Australian Women's Weekly and in the same year published the first of three novels about early colonial Australia. From 1943 to 1963 he served as a Labour M.P. for the suburban constituency of Parkes. On losing his seat, he continued writing and subsequently a novel, a play and a political memoir were published.

The narrator explains the difficulty with editorials:
“I told them that they shouldn't put me on leader writing while the man who did the regular job was on leave. It's too much of a temptation to a man used to straight news. Politicians and reporters are the world's greatest frustrates. The politician can't say what he thinks because of his electors; the reporter mustn't write what he thinks because of his editor. When they cut free, they're wildcats.”