He began to establish a reputation in the writing world from 1935 onwards, with short stories contributed to the left-wing magazine "Tomorrow". This led to the publication of a collection, "Conversation with My Uncle, and Other Sketches", in 1936. His short stories from this time demonstrate the features that would come to characterise his style: minimalist and austere narration and characters, and the use of everyday New Zealand spoken English, and showed the influence of the American writer Sherwood Anderson, whose stories Sargeson was reading at the time. In late 1939, Sargeson was diagnosed with surgical tuberculosis, which meant he was excused from conscription in World War II and eligible for an invalid's benefit.