Partly-printed DS, signed “Martin L. King, Jr.,” three pages, 8.5 x 14, August 30, 1962. Publishing contract between Martin Luther King, Jr., and Editorial Agora in which King attests that he is "the sole and exclusive Owner of the copyright in a work entitled Stride Toward Freedom…and is also the Owner of all translation rights," and "conveys for the term of the copyright thereof the right to translate the work into the Spanish language and to publish and sell copies of such translation in volume form." For these rights, the publisher agrees to pay a $150 advance plus royalties at the rate of 7.5% of the retail price for the first 3,000 books sold, and 10% for all copies sold thereafter. The publisher also agrees to send ten copies of the book to King in care of his literary agency, "Marie Rodell and Joan Daves, Inc., 15 East 48th Street, New York." Signed at the conclusion in blue ballpoint by Martin Luther King, Jr., and countersigned in fountain pen by the publisher. In fine condition. Includes the resulting Spanish-language book, Los Viajeros de la Libertad [The Freedom Riders], hardcover with dust jacket, published in Barcelona by Editorial Fontanella in 1963, stamped on the first free end page with his literary agent's ownership stamp: "Joan Daves, File Copy, Do Not Remove."
Published in the United States by Harper & Brothers in 1958, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s first book, Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, chronicles the planning, events, and aftermath of the first successful large-scale application of nonviolent resistance in the Civil Rights Movement: the year-long Montgomery bus boycott. A comprehensive and insightful account, the book traces the journey of a community and highlights King's transformative devotion to equality and non-violence.
To assist him in dealing with publishers, contract negotiations, and publicity relating to Stride Toward Freedom, King hired New York literary agent Joan Daves. As his stature grew and the book came to the attention of people worldwide, a demand arose for foreign-language editions. Daves negotiated terms agreeable to King for a Spanish version, making the work accessible to readers throughout Spain and Latin America. King's global impact would be recognized the following year by the Nobel Committee, who awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize. Daves would accompany King to Oslo for his acceptance of the prize—a testament to her importance in spreading King's message across the globe.
Daves remained King’s literary agent for his next three books: Strength to Love (1963), Why We Can’t Wait (1964), and Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967), and continued to work with King’s literary property until her death in 1997.
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