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Lot #590
D. H. Lawrence

Lawrence looks to serialize The Lost Girl: “If The Queen would like to see the book, and if ‘she’ could read it in a week or so, perhaps let her have it first”

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Description

Lawrence looks to serialize The Lost Girl: “If The Queen would like to see the book, and if ‘she’ could read it in a week or so, perhaps let her have it first”

ALS, on both sides of a 3.5 x 5.5 postal card, July 23, 1920. Letter to Hubert Loss, the assistant editor of Land and Water. In part: “Have you received the ms. of my novel The Lost Girl, which I posted to you exactly a month ago…If you have the ms. and Secker wants it to make corrections in his uncorrected copy, please let him have it. But if The Queen would like to see the book, and if ‘she’ could read it in a week or so, perhaps let her have it first, because if once Secker gets it there is no knowing when he will part from it again: he would only need to keep it a few days. Hope it has arrived.” In very good condition, with creasing to three corners, a couple lightly affecting signature, scattered toning and soiling, and two postmarks to front of postcard.

“The Queen” here is not a reference to royalty, but rather to a publication that Lawrence had hoped would serialize his work. Despite his desire and negotiations, that wish never came to fruition. The novel—which Lawrence started to write in 1913 before setting it aside for several years—eventually receiving the blessing of Secker, the London publisher responsible for producing Lawrence’s works. Secker, in fact, purportedly told the author, “I am quite sure of your future” upon reading it, although at the time it never became the popular success the had hoped. Published in 1920, The Lost Girl was Lawrence’s sixth novel and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title:
  • Dates: #353 - Ended January 23, 2010





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