HUGHES MASSIE & CO.

COPYRIGHT AGENTS.

LONDON & NEW YORK.

W. EDMUND CORK.
BERNARD MERIVALE

NEW YORK.
40, EAST 49TH STREET

TELEPHONE. CENTRAL 4828.
TELEGRAMS LITARIBUS FLEET-LONDON.
CABLES LITARIBUS LONDON.
CODE. WESTERN UNION.

40. FLEET STREET,
LONDON, E.C.4.

21st February 1940.

Norman Douglas, Esq.
1. Place Mace,
Antibes, A.M.
France.

Dear Mr. Douglas,

Thank you for your letter of the 13th inst. from which we note that you are now living in the South of France. We wrote to you on the 7th inst. addressing the letter to your Monaco address, and as we are afraid that this may possibly not be forwarded on to you we have pleasure in attaching a copy herewith.

As regards the request of the Harvard University for permission to include selections from SOUTH WIND in their book of freshman readings, we understand that owing to considerations of space they have been unable to proceed any further with their plan in this instance.

Our Italian representative has been enquiring in regard to the Italian rights of SOUTH WIND. Perhaps you would kindly let us know also whether these are available and you would like us to deal with this enquiry accordingly.

We are in touch with Messrs. Secker & Warburg in regard to their royalty accounts, and understand that these will be coming to hand within the next few days.

Enc.

COPY

HUGHES MASSIE & CO.

COPYRIGHT AGENTS.
LONDON & NEW YORK.

W. EDMUND CORK.
BERNARD MERIVALE.

40, FLEET STREET,
LONDON, E.C.4.

Norman Douglas, Esq.
Hotel du Siecle,
Monaco.A.M.

7th February 1940.

Dear Mr. Douglas,

We have pleasure in informing you
that a publishing house in Brazil is anxious to acquire
the Portuguese translation rights of SOUTH WIND, for
which they would be prepared to pay a fee of $75 outright.
Perhaps you would kindly let us know whether should these
rights be available, you would like us to negotiate with
them on these terms.

With regard to the extracts from OLD CALABRIA
about which we wrote to you in March of last year, owing to
present conditions Messrs. Nelson & Sons have held over the
publication of their Travel Anthology for a few months, but
we will see that a copy of the book is sent to you in due course.

Yours truly,

FROM

ERIC HIGKS

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT

TELEPHONE EDINBURGH 21165.

26 RUTLAND SQUARE.

EDINBURGH 3.

93, Queen's Gate, S.W.7.

LONDON.

Feb 14, 1947.

My dear Norman Douglas,

I was delighted to get your letter, although disappointed that you are so far away. However, it would be the black selfishness to begrudge you the warmth and freedom from our presentacy discontents which you are doubtless enjoying. It was kind of you to introduce me to Mr. King. He has promptly responded by inviting me to luncheon at the Garrick Club next Wednesday. He is also inviting David Low, your old friend. I am exceedingly interested to know that he is an authority on Gibbon, who is one of my "heroes" and the eighteenth century one of my chiefest joys.

I thought you would like to see the enclosed handsome review of LATE HARVEST in the LISTENER. My wife, who is one of your admirers, says I could not have written it better myself! I saw Morley, the harp maker, yesterday: I was waiting to see him before replying to you. Once one breaks down the crust of reserve, I feel sure he will prove most entertaining. He is, at any rate, a fanatic about his craft, although in no wise pretentious. He is, in fact, the last remaining harp maker, repairer, expert in this country. If he dropped down dead tomorrow, Sidonie Goossens or any of the other leading harpists would have no one to do their repairs. He was a great friend and admirer of Eric Gill's and tells some amusing stories about Gill's failure to set up a Utopia in Sussex, with a modified Franciscan rule. Howard de Walden financed him, and Gill got twinges of conscience because he feared he did not give him his "money's worth." Of such is the kingdom of Maecenas. I shall be returning to see Morley again. He was most touched to know that you and Carlow called upon him, but bitterly regretful that he was not in, particularly as it was Carlow's last visit. Apparently, Carlow was greatly fascinated by the mystery and craft of harps, but was not a musician. His and Morley's particular mutual interest was in fine printing.

Talking about printing, I am seeking everywhere for Orioli's autobiography, which I quite unaccountably missed when it was published. Your method, by the way, of selecting cards from a bowl was most ingenious and effective. I am also hunting for my own copy of OLD CALABRIA as I want to reread the passage on Milton in connection with something I may be writing myself - one day. It is really shameful that your discoveries have been neglected. Apart from SOUTH WIND, which is, to my mind, in a class by itself, I agree with you in favouring ALONE. My wife's preference is for TOGETHER. She says there is more dialogue in it. She is, by the way, reading and greatly enjoying BUT TO WHAT PURPOSE, an autobiography by E.L.Grant Watson, a naturalist, who has some lurid insight to offer into co-education at Bedales. If it comes your way, she thinks it would be "up your street." (Don't be deterred by it "BUT" in the title!)

I do hope that when you get the inclination, you will supplement your letters to King with an occasional epistle to me, with some news of your background, what you are reading, what your home is like and any news of interesting personalities on the island. I do think you are so very wise to have contrived to return and to leave behind the acerbities and discomforts of this hag-ridden country, even if you suffered discomfort in making the effort.

P.T.O.