Autograph Collection.- Authors

Autograph Collection.- Authors

Collection of letters and notes signed by prominent authors and playwrights, including: Sydney Smith (brief thank you note, 11 May 1849, and a letter apologising for not attending the recipient's party, n.d.); William Harrison Ainsworth (signed envelope); Auberon Waugh (typed letter to Mr Chesterton, thanking him for sending "the copies of Candour" and saying "I foolishly allowed a Left Wing progressivist master to see a copy of the magazine, which resulted in many enjoyable classes of furious discussions, and converted the entire class to Imperialism. All this is enormously enjoyable, and it is rather fortunate that masters en masse disapprove of Imperialism, as in the typical perversity of youth it makes all schoolboys whole-hearted supporters of the Cause", 16 June 1955; Christoper Fry (letter to a Neil Armstrong, reading in part "There's no measuring how long a book takes to write. It depends on whether you are a slow writer or a fast one. It used to take me between six months and a year to write a play", 22 October 1985); J.B. Priestley (signature on stationery from the Midland Hotel, Manchester); John Galsworthy (brief note to the editor of the Harrovian, sending some verses to be printed and asking him to "be anonymous", 21 November 1929); John Masefield (letter to Jeannie McConnell, reading "It is for me to thank you, not the other way around, for you are good and nice and clever, and I enjoyed your being here and shall miss you in your corner dreadfully", n.d.; with a signature inscribed to Jeanne McConnell on a loose flyleaf); Bernard Levin (typed note declining an invitation from Mrs Lorraine, 16 February 1966); Compton Mackenzie (three typed letters to Mr Raymond -recipient's name has been cancelled- one saying "How kind of you to write and tell me you'd enjoyed Mezzotint. The setting is really the Seychelles but of course I had to lay it in the South Atlantic instead of the Indian Ocean"; another letter reading "I had an interesting letter from A.L. Rowse the other day and I was gratified that he passed my Cornwall of nearly sixty years as correct", 23 November 1961- 6 September 1965); Beverley Nichols (typed letter to Mrs Seamthers, reading "I was very pleased to hear that you liked the three country books, and your kind words about them brought me some real encouragement, for which I am indeed grateful", 17 May 1938); Edmund Gosse (letter saying "If Wilson is not stirred up to give me particulars of his group, I shall be in despair. How tiresome these people are!", 28 April 1885); Anthony H. Hawkins (two brief notes to Mrs Earle saying how sorry he is he can’t accept his invitation due to a previous commitment, 11 June 1895 and 12 February 1896); Iris Murdoch (postcard signed "Iris"); Dennis Wheatley (loose title page of A History of Ceylon by father S.G. Perera, signed and annotated "The latter part used by me when writing my book Dangerous Inheritance"; with loose wrapper from the same volume, similarly annotated by Wheatley on the verso); John Betjeman (clipped signature, ink signature affixed underneath a printed version of his poem 'Henley-on-Thames' and a thank you note); Harold Brighthouse (ink signature, 14 November 1931); Cecil Day Lewis (typed letter thanking Mrs Rodyk "for sending me the fascinating poems by your son" and adding "I do not know of any book on poetry which would be of use to a child of his age; as long as he is writing it so originally himself, I cannot think he needs anything more", 25 April 1945; with two cards); Nancy Mitford (postcard to Le Comte Antonini, reading "You asked me to let you know when any English writers are here - Anthony Powell and his wife are here at the Hotel d'Angleterre...I'm too busy with my party to organise anything at the moment, but I'm sure you would enjoy a chat with him, and so would he", 14 May 1952); Robert Graves (brief note to Mr Scarr, saying he has already engaged himself for three talks and can't undertake any more", 29 July 1962); William Aubrey Darlington (letter explaining that numerous work commitments have prevented him from writing sooner and saying he is sorry they could not meet, 18 October 1953); Gerald Massey (clipped signature); Thomas Hughes (letter replying to an autograph request, 24 October 1871); Laurence Binyon (letter informing Mr Oliver that "my Indian slides are in a small box which I am leaving on my table addressed to you, if you could send for it to the Print Room", n.d.); Herbert Spencer Bates (letter thanking Mr Backer for sending some prints, 9 August 1943); Thomas Anstey Guthrie (brief note about one of his short stories that was included in 'The Talking Horse', 31 October 1931); Hugh Walpole (letter replying to an autograph request, with signed photograph 30 December 1932); Ben Traves (clipped signature); Robert Cedric Sherriff (letter to Mr Rubinstein regarding his play 'Mr. Bridie's Finger' and saying "the play was produced privately some weeks ago", 14 April 1926"); and a few others, mostly featuring pencil annotations by the collector, v.s., late 19th century-20th century (quantity)

(Quantity:qty)

Dimensions: in an envelope measuring 30 x 22cm