This collection investigates the critical influence and intellectual legacy of A. G. Stephens, a pivotal figure in the development of Australian literary identity. Editor Leon Cantrell compiles a representative selection of Stephens's essays, reviews, and commentary to demonstrate his role as a gatekeeper of national letters. The work provides a structured overview of his editorial philosophy and his impact on the burgeoning Australian literary scene during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The collection serves as a foundational resource for scholars interested in the history of Australian criticism and the editorial standards of the period. It provides a dense, primary-source-heavy look at the intellectual climate that shaped early Australian literature.