PRIESTLEY

[Norman Collins, author of ‘London Belongs to Me’.] Typed Letter Signed to Philip Dosse, publisher of ‘Books and Bookmen’, regarding a review he has written, and a party in his honour held by the English Centre of P.E.N.

Author: 
Norman Collins [Norman Richard Collins] (1907-1982), author of ‘London Belongs to Me’ and TV executive [Philip Dosse (1925-1980), publisher of ‘Books and Bookmen’]
Publication details: 
2 March 1977; on letterhead of ATV House, 17 Great Cumberland Place, London W1.
£56.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Philip Dosse was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players. See ‘Death of a Bookman’ by the novelist Sally Emerson (editor of ‘Books and Bookmen’ at the time of Dosse’s suicide), in Standpoint magazine, October 2018. The present item is 1p, 4to. Signed ‘Norman Collins’. In good condition, lightly aged. He is submitting a review of J. B. Priestley’s ‘Instead of the Trees’, in the hope that it is ‘the kind of thing that you had in mind’.

[J. B. Priestley, popular English novelist.] Typed Letter Signed ('Jack') to 'B. J.', i.e. Maire Lynd, regarding her parents Robert and Sylvia Lynd, and her son.

Author: 
J. B. Priestley [John Boynton Priestley] (1894-1984), novelist, playwright and broadcaster [Maire Lynd ('B. J.'), daughter of Irish essayist Robert Lynd and his wife the poet Sylvia Lynd]
Publication details: 
16 June 1976. On his letterhead, Kissing Tree House, Alveston, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.
£45.00

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded once. The salutation 'Dear B. J.' and valediction 'Yours | Jack' are in Priestley's autograph; the rest is typed. Maire Lynd's letter was 'a delight surprise', Priestley being unaware that her son was 'in the film business'.

[Eleven British authors of the 1920s and 1930s.] Autograph Signatures of Hugh Walpole, J. B. Priestley, C. S. Forester, V. S. Pritchett, Lord Dunsany, Alec Waugh, Norman Collins, A. G. Macdonell, Ivor Brown, Philip Jordan and Lionel Hale.

Author: 
Hugh Walpole, J. B. Priestley, C. S. Forester, V. S. Pritchett, Lord Dunsany, Alec Waugh, Norman Collins, A. G. Macdonell, Ivor Brown, Philip Jordan, Lionel Hale, Pauline Donalda, H. Lane Wilson
Publication details: 
Without date or place [London? Late 1920s? 1930s?]
£220.00

The signatures feature with no other text on a single page, on one side of a 15 x 18 cm leaf of thickish cream paper removed from an album. In fair condition, aged, and dusty, with slight pinkish-red staining on edges, and not near any of the signatures. The signatories are: 'Hugh Walpole', 'Dunsany' [Lord Dunsany], 'Alec Waugh/', 'V S Pritchett', 'Lionel Hale.', 'Norman Collins', 'Philip Jordan' [Philip Furneaux Jordan (1902-1951), journalist and author], 'A. G. Macdonell.', 'Ivor Brown', 'J. B. Priestley', 'C. S. Forester'.

[John Boynton Priestley.] Typed Letter Signed ('J. B. Priestley') to Eric Crozier of the Performing Right Society Ltd, declining to write a piece on Alan Herbert [Sir Alan Patrick Herbert].

Author: 
J. B. Priestley [John Boynton Priestley] (1894-1984), author [Eric Crozier (1914-1994), writer, librettist and producer; Sir Alan Patrick Herbert (1890-1971), politician and theatre producer]
Publication details: 
On his letterhead, Kissing Tree House, Alveston, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. 15 November 1965.
£45.00

1p., 8vo. Priestley's agents have forwarded an invitation from Crozier 'to write a piece on Alan Herbert for a special issue you are planning'. Although Priestley has 'a high regard' for Herbert, he is 'particularly anxious just now not to accept commissions of this kind, and so must reluctantly refuse'.

Typed Letter Signed from J. B. Priestley to E. M. Forster, accusing him of being 'in the wrong' regarding a Society of Authors questionnaire on National Service. With Autograph Copy and Typed Copy by Forster of letters by him to the Society.

Author: 
J. B. Priestley [E. M. Forster; Denys Kilham Roberts (1903-1976), of the Society of Authors]
Publication details: 
Priestley's letter to Forster: 3 The Grove, Highgate Village, London; 25 May 1939.
£220.00

Forster's main objection is that the National Service questionnaire, sent out by the Society of Authors 'at the suggestion of the Ministry of Labour', asks members to 'give general particulars of their political opinions' (see Hansard, 25 May 1939). Four items. ONE. Priestley's letter, addressed to 'My dear Forster' by 'J. B. Priestley'. 1 p, 4to. Twenty lines. Fair, on aged paper.

Typed Letter Signed ('J B. Priestley') to 'My dear Minney'.

Author: 
J. B. Priestley
Publication details: 
7 Dec. 1939; on letterhead of Billingham Manor, Isle of Wight.
£56.00

12mo, 1 p. Very good. He hopes she will bring her paper out soon, 'as there is room' for it, 'especially if you are careful to steer clear of mere nonsense'. Asks her to ask her 'paper' to send the cheque to him, 'and not to Peters, as he had no hand in the transaction'. He 'travelled 2,500 miles doing those articles on our war-time effort', and is 'now very glad to be back home, picking up the threads of my own work again'. He has just finished 'a comedy', and hopes 'to start another soon'.

Autograph Letter Signed "T. Belsham", to Robert Philips, Esq.

Author: 
Thomas Belsham.
Publication details: 
Essex Street, 15 Dec. 1822.
£156.00

Unitarian Divine (see DNB). Two pages, 4to, blank leaf conjoint crudely trimmed with no loss, mainly good condition. He thanks himn for a present of game and discusses health and weather. He then talks about rumours of war and Wellington saying that, as a Spanish grandee, any nation attacking Spain would find him at the head of Spanish troops.

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