WHITE (ANTONIA) Series of ten autograph letters signed, 1950-1971
WHITE (ANTONIA)
Series of ten autograph letters signed ("Toni" and "Tony"), nine to the verse translator Brian Hill, one to his partner George Dunbar, about her life and writing, and those of her correspondents: among her own books, she refers to her novel Beyond the Glass as well as her translations, and reviews; bemoans as always her writer's block for which "mental treatment" is needed ("...I hope it will succeed but am none too optimistic..."), although she still manages mercifully to translate since "translating is my bread-and-butter job"; she also allows herself to complain about her fellow Catholics for being "so frightfully pleased with themselves", and at the end of a long and moving letter written on hearing of George's death tells Hill that "The only comfort of being a 'Christian' is that one can pray for one's friends, dead or alive, as for years I have done daily for both of you"; much of the correspondence is otherwise taken up by generous praise and encouragement for Hill's work, praising especially his translations of Rimbaud published as The Drunken Boat ("...an astonishing tour de force..."), his anthology The Pleasure Garden ("...fascinating...immensely personal...a lovely jumble of the poetic & the odd..."), The Earth Closet (expressing "amazed admiration" for its "brilliance & ingenuity"), and his translations of Martial published as Ganymede in Rome ("...He wasn't considered suitable at St. Paul's Girls' School... such delightful little poems, so lyrical & so witty that both you & Martial deserve to be congratulated..."); with one envelope, 19 pages, 4to and 8vo, London, 1950-1971
Sold for £525 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • 'THE ONLY COMFORT OF BEING A 'CHRISTIAN' IS THAT ONE CAN PRAY FOR ONE'S FRIENDS, DEAD OR ALIVE': a fine series by Antonia White, author of Frost in May, on her fears of insanity, writing, faith and friendship – we can find no record of any letter or manuscript by her having been sold at auction.

Auction Notices

  • Please note the correct estimate is £400-600, and not as stated in the printed catalogue.

Category: Books / Books, Maps and Manuscripts


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