He wrote his first novel The Little Country about pioneer life in 19th century New Plymouth while recovering in bed from the rugby accident.
Together with Paradise Bay, they are regarded as New Zealand classics; the English critic Marghanita Laski wrote that Paradise Bay was "an excellent book and a potential New Zealand classic if ever there was one".
[2] He moved to London in 1938, and in World War II was an Intelligence Officer in the Royal Air Force.
Postwar in London, he edited Books of Today and then was assistant editor of World's Press News.
While returning to England from a ten weeks visit to New Zealand, he died at sea from coronary thrombosis on the liner Rangitikei.