History

If we choose to make a bit of a fuss about this issue of New Contrast, it is because not every literary magazine manages to publish 100 issues in uninterrupted sequence, over a 37 year span. As the incumbent Editor, I want to pay special tributes to the previous editors who are the real sustainers of this magazine; Jack Cope, Geoff Haresnape, Douglas Reid Skinner, and (even though he was not formally an editor) Mike Nicol.

The first issue of Contrast was published on 15 November 1960. During the year previous to that, a number of people in Cape Town had been discussing and finalising plans for a literary magazine, and the South African Literary Journal Ltd, a non-profit company limited by guarantee had been formally set up on 29 January 1960, with the intention of publishing a magazine. The seven signatories of the Articles of Association were Gerald Gordon, Montague Cohen, Anthony Delius, Jack Cope, Philip Segal, Sydney Clouts and Anthony Clarke. The proposed editorial board of the magazine was to include Anthony Delius, Jack Cope, Jan Rabie, Philip Segal, Nancy Baines, Kees Greshoff, Owen Williams and Anthony Clarke. The magazine, it was first decided, was to have been called Orbit, and then it was found that there was already in existence a magazine with that name, and the alternative suggested by Sydney Clouts, Terrapin, seems to have been outvoted at the first meeting of the SALJ, which agreed on the name Contrast, which had been suggested by Philip Segal. Jack Cope was elected chairman of the editorial board. The early meetings of the editorial board were held at Mr Gordon’s chambers, and then at Clarke’s Bookshop in Long Street.

After the first issue had been published (2000 copies printed), the financial position was assessed, and approaches were made to a number of funding agencies for support. The publication of the second issue was delayed until more money could be raised. As the money came in, decisions were made about proceeding. I raise these points here because some of the people and institutions which helped Contrast then are still supporting us, and their faith in the magazine, and their willingness to put their good faith into action is a significant part of the reason why New Contrast is still going.

After ten years, 25 issues had been published. It appears that at that time there were 611 paid up subscribers, and the CNA ordered a further 270 copies for sale through its outlets. The magazine was making a loss on each issue, and it was only because of patrons’ funding that the magazine continued.

After twenty years, Jack Cope announced his decision to leave South Africa for England. Geoffrey Haresnape was appointed Editor at the end of 1980. The financial worries continued. Various donors maintained their steady support, but printing costs continued to rise sharply, and there were approaches made by outside publishers to take over the magazine – approaches which the SALJ turned down.

Geoff Haresnape edited the magazine until 1989, when he announced to the Board that he intended to stand down as Editor. At that stage, various options regarding the future of Contrast were discussed, and the Directors agreed finally on the following. Contrast would incorporate the magazine UpStream (started by Alan James, and then edited by Douglas Reid Skinner), and the SALJ would continue publishing under the control of the Directors of the SALJ, the resultant combined magazine which was to be called New Contrast, with Douglas Reid Skinner as its editor. What this proposal made possible was the reduction of the costs of publishing the magazine because Douglas Skinner was able, through desk top publishing, to reduce the dependence of the magazine on commercial printing firms. New Contrast started appearing four times a year, and has maintained that rate since then. Douglas Skinner also launched as a supplement to New Contrastf, a tabloid format newspaper called the South African Literary Review.