11. 16 and 24 December 1966 (more on Wolf/Köchert)

16th December 1966

 

Dear Andrew,

 

   Thanks for your letter and postcard; I'll reply to those after Christmas.

   Meanwhile you might think that Legge has been left to one side long enough. Here's what I know.

 

There are:

 

1.  Briefe an Melanie Köchert, herausg. Von Franz Grasberger (Hans Schneider, Tutzing, 1964)

2.  Letters to Frieda Zerny (unpublished) in Walter Legge's possession.

3.  Material, including letters to both, forming the "one important chapter and a few shorter passages "which had to be omitted from the first edition of Frank Walker’s book (Dent, 1951)

 

Dent tell me (in confidence at this stage) that they are fairly certain to be bringing out a new edition containing 3. within the next year or so. I suggested that would  be a good opportunity to publish any other available material still in private hands; they seemed interested. And of course they will have specialist knowledge of the copyright position, etc.

   If then Walter Legge would like to write to Michael Geare at J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd 10 Bedford St. WC2 I'm sure they'd be very pleased to hear from him and to consider putting the Zerny letters into an appendix. That correspondence would surely be relevant to the unpublished chapter, which I have  seen. [...]

 

[Christmas Eve 1966]

 

I've just received a letter from Dent which says

 

"You were kind enough to tell Mr. Geare that Mr. Walter Legge had some unpublished letters that might be useful in the new edition of this book that we are contemplating. We want to take an estimate of costs as soon as possible, so need to have any extra material immediately. We would very much like to have the opportunity of considering Mr. Legge’s material, ..." etc.

   signed T. R. Nicholson, Editor

 

My position is that I don't think I 'have sufficient standing to act as Legge’s go-between (I'm sorry if that seems an odd way of putting it).

   Would you mind asking him whether he's interested in this possibility, in connection with his letter to you of last January?

   Or if you could let me know where he may currently be found I/?you could give the address to Dent and ask them to got in touch with him direct, unless there is any objection.

   The matter seems to have a certain urgency from their point of view at least.

   And it would be nice, wouldn't it, if all the new unpublished material could now be brought together?

   Since Dent seem so eager it ought to be possible to come to some reasonable agreement with them about MT publication, if you have that in mind.

   My office telephone number is now Tate Gallery 1288 Extn. 7186.

   yours ever

   Eric

 

   P.S. My latest letter from Maurice Brown is loud in your praise.