[‘Now do you understand why authors leave the country?’: Beverley Nichols, novelist and poet.] Typed Letter Signed to ‘Mr. Bryon’, regarding an interview, and conclusion of Typed Letter Signed joking about heavy correspondence.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The first letter, and probably the second, were written around the time when his ‘Down the Garden Path’ (1932) and its two sequels had made Nichols wildly popular, eliciting several parodies. ONE (TLS to ‘Mr. Bryon’): 1p, 12mo. Discoloration along top part of outer edge, otherwise in good condition. Folded once. Good clear signature ‘Beverley Nichols’. He thanks him for sending the interview. ‘I think it is admirably written, and expresses my views very clearly.’ TWO (conclusion of TLS): 1p, 12mo. Twenty-nine lines of text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Smaller signature ‘Beverley Nichols’, but still good and clear. The letter starts while Nichols is in the process of giving a tongue-in-cheek description of the volume of his correspondence: ‘[...] band at a quiet hotel and arrange for free seats for three theatres. / 3. Three letters from parents who have genius sons who, however, are unable to find employment. Will I kindly see to this? / 4. Eight requests to speak on Disarmament, at towns varying from Edinburgh to Penzance. / 5. Two unsolicted novels, four unsolicited sonnets, and a letter of 78 pages from a lunatic in South Africa, enclosing a large number of photographs of General Smutts.’ He complains that he cannot continue, having only ‘touched the fringe of my mail’, with ‘a pile of similar letters a foot high waiting to be answered’. The letter concludes: ‘Now do you understand why authors leave the country? Or hide in caves? Or commit suicide? And do you also understand why your own charming letter was such a relief?’