TLS signed “Sincerely yours, Vladimir Nabokov,” one page on a self-contained 7.25 x 12 aerogramme letter, September 13, 1959. Letter to his French literary agent, Madame D. Ergaz, in full: “On April 15, 1959, I asked my wife to tell you that I recognized your right to a commission on sales of my books written before Lolita, to the Rowohlt Verlag of Hamburg, with the exception of The Real Life of Sebastian Knight and Pnin. Since then I have had the following letter from Rowohlt: 'I have by the way never corresponded directly with the Bureau Clairouin. We only contacted this agent on behalf of The Real Life of Sebastian Knight' etc. Rowohlt goes on to say that he does not think that I have 'any obligations towards Clairouin arising out of my /i.e. Rowohlt's/ correspondence with that office.' On the other hand, I had never given you the exclusive representation of my works for Germany. I wonder therefore, in the light of this correspondence, comment vous envisagez la chose. I have signed my first contract with Rowohlt regarding Luzhin's Defense and received an advance of $300.—. I would like to hear from you about this at your earliest convenience. I acknowledge with thanks Mme Schebeko's letter of Sept 7th (addressed to my wife). You can go ahead with the Serbo-Croats and with the Greeks. I can sign the agreements when I shall pass through Paris in October. Please, bear in mind that a Mr. Santos was working on the Greek translation. If that translation is good, the Greek publisher might be offered its use (without our participation in the transaction, our course). The master of money transfer can likewise await my arrival. I shall very soon give you the lawyer’s formula regarding subsidiary rights in foreign-language agreements. My lawyer’s position is that Mr. Girodias should not be informed of any transactions except those in which he has a rightful interest, i.e. volume full-price editions. But I shall write you more on this within a day or two. Anyway, please set up a new contract with Ankor for the Israeli pocketbook edition.” In fine condition overall, with a few small marginal tears and pen marks, and light wrinkling. An interesting letter relating to the foreign publication of Nabokov’s greatest works, in particular Lolita, which earned its first American publication by G. P. Putnam's Sons in August 1958.
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