Guide to the Sir Stanley Unwin Letters 1888, 1914-1966
Cage 4032

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Creator
Unwin, Sir Stanley
Title
Sir Stanley Unwin Letters
ID
Cage 4032
Date [inclusive]
1888, 1914-1966
Extent
1 containers., .25 linear feet of shelf space., 41 items.
Language
Collection materials are in English.
Abstract
Business and private correspondence written by noted writers of the twentieth century to Sir Stanley Unwin.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 4032, Sir Stanley Unwin Letters . Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

Sir Stanley Unwin (1884-1968) was an author and head of the English publishing house of George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. which he established in 1914. A strong proponent of international cooperation in book matters, he served as president of the International Publishing Association, 1936-1938 and 1946-1957, and traveled extensively throughout the world collecting information on organization and publishing techniques from booksellers and publishing houses.

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Scope and Content

These letters were, for the most part, received through the firm of George Allen and Unwin Ltd. and concern publishing matters. It may be assumed that Sir Stanley chose to separate them out from his business files (note, for example, the pencilled instructions on Priestley's letter to make a copy for the file) because these were letters from the now or soon-to-be famous and he wished to keep them in his personal files.

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Arrangement

The letters are arranged in a single sequence, alphabetically by the last name of the writer of the letter.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries: Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) © 1976

http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Acquisition Information

The letters of Sir Stanley Unwin (1884-1968) were acquired by Washington State University Library by purchase through the Sotheby sale of July 23, 1976 (lot 24).

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Names and Subjects

Occupation(s)

  • Authors, English -- 20th century -- Correspondence

Personal Name(s)

Creator(s) :
  • Unwin, Stanley, Sir, 1884-1968--Archives
Subject(s) :
  • Unwin, Stanley, Sir, 1884-1968 -- Correspondence
  • Blunden, Edmund, 1896-1974.
  • Laski, Harold Joseph, 1893-1950.
  • Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963.
  • Macaulay, Rose, Dame.
  • Sitwell, Edith, Dame, 1887-1964.
  • Woolf, Leonard, 1880-1969.

Subject(s)

  • Literature

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Detailed Description of Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

box folder

Aldington, Richard, 1892-1962. Letter, Montpellier, Herault, France, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] concerning the publication of his poems by another publishing house and praise of the firm George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. June 6 1952  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 1

Belloc, Hilaire, 1870-1953. Letter, Shipley, Horsham, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, informing him that he has no essays on a subject about which Unwin had previously written him. September 25 1935  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 2

Bennett, Arnold, 1867-1931. Letter [London] to Sir Stanley Unwin, asking for a copy of Union's new translation of "Oblomov. November 5 1929  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 3

Blunden, Edmund Charles, 1896. Letter, Hawstead Nr. Bury St, Edmunds, to Sir Stanley Unwin, concerning correspondence about a second edition of the Home-Reading Union's List of War Rooks. March 14 1930  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 4

Cope-Hennesey, James. Letter [London] to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] making a luncheon appointment with him to discuss Cope-Hennesey's new book. October 30 1959  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 5

de la Mare, Walter, 1873-1956. Letter, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, to George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., London, thanking the firm for the two copies of Miss Eileen Duggan's Poems. December 1 1937  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 6

Dickinson, W N. Postcard, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, thanking him for his assistance. December 2 [1915]  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 7

Dunsany, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, baron, 1878-1957. Letter, Meath, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, giving information about George Allen and Unwin, Ltd.'s previous business dealings in the publishing of Lord Dunsany's books. May 3 1946  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 8

Ervine, St. John, 1883. Letter, Seaton, Devonshire, to Sir Stanley Unwin, regarding the manuscript of his play "The First Mrs. Fraser."  1929  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 9

Forster, Edward Morgan, 1879. Letter, West Hackhurst, Dunking?, to George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., London, concerning a quotation which the firm have asked him to identify and which he does not attribute to Dickinson. September 3 1946  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 10

Fry, Roger Elliott, 1866-1934. Postcard, London, to George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., London, thanking the firm for suggestions regarding the publishing of some materials but stating that he has already made such arrangements. December 15 1929  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 11

Galsworthy, John, 1867-1933. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, thanking him for a book which he has received. August 16 1925  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 12

Hogben, Lancelot, 1895. Letter, Birmingham, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] extending New Year's wishes to him. January 1 1951  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 13

Hodgson, Ralph, 1871-1962. Letter, Madison, Wisconsin, to Sir Stanley Unwin, making arrangements to meet with Sir Stanley the next time Hogben travels to London. December 17 1938  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 14

Joad, Cyril Edwin Mitchinson, 1891-1953. Letter [London] to Sir Stanley Unwin, asking if he might invite friends to use Sir Stanley's tennis court.  undated  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 15

Laski, Harold Joseph, 1893-1950. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, explaining why a pamphlet he had written for the Fabian Society had not been submitted to George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. for publication and Leonard Woolf's role in all of this. August 11 1932  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 16

Lewis, Clive Staples, 1898-1963. Letter, Cambridge, to Mr. Breckman [London] asking that he not put in a word for Lewis' work, as people might think it "mutual backscratching, like Shanks and Squire. November 6 1962  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 17

Macaulay, Dame Rose, 1889?-1958. Postcard, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, thanking him for his letter and accompanying report. July 30 1942  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 18

McCarthy, Desmond. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] thanking him for the check and asking what he thinks about a new preface. June ? 1941  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 19

MacDonald, George, 1824-1905. Letter, Ewill, to S. Unwin, responding to a request that he lecture on October 6, delineating his fees, and indicating that he would prefer not to lecture in England in October. July 4 1888  2 l. holograph signed.

 1 20

Mackenzie, Compton, 1883. Letter, Berkshire, to Sir Stanley Unwin (London] thanking him for his letter to congratulations. June 9 1952  1 l. in part typescript and holograph signed.

 1 21

Masefield, John, 1878-1967. Letter, Berkshire, to [George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., London] regarding "sacrificing 2000 copies of the American edition of Shakespeare, in the Home University Library. September 20 1914  1 1. holograph signed.

 1 22

Montague, Charles Edward, 1867-1928. Letter, Burford, Oxfordshire, to Sir Stanley Unwin, in which he stresses that he will keep in mind Sir Stanley's offer to publish what he may write. December 30 1925  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 23

Muir, Edwin, 1887-1959. Letter, Dalkeith, Midlothian, to Sir Stanley Unwin, thanking him for his letter of congratulations. June 5 1953  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 24

Murray, Gilbert, 1866-1957. Letter, , to Mr. Beard, indicating what corrections need to be made in the references of Murray's manuscript. September 14 1947  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 25

Nehru, Jawaharlal, 1889-1964. Letter, New Delhi, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, thanking him for sending a copy of Lord Beveridge's book. April 19 1948  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 26

Nevinson, Henry W. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, thanking him for his letter which commented favorably on some of Nevinson's writing. January 7 1940  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 27

Nicolson, Harold, 1886-1968. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] concerning a Mr. Baldwin who had been chastized by Nicolson for not showing an interest in "foreign politics. November 5 1958  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 28

Ollivant, Alfred, 1874-1927. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, concerning a scandal, possibly connected with The Athenaeum, with a postscript about a manuscript which he was sending under separate cover. 1926  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 29

Phillpotts, Eden, 1862-1960. Letter, Broadclyst, Devonshire, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] thanking Unwin for his letter and deploring the conditions under which young writers have to endure. January 13 1951  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 30

Priestley, John Boynton, 1894. Letter, Stratford-on-Avon, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, thanking him for his letter and the book On Crowing Old by Dr. Vischer. August 27 1966  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 31

Rajagopalachari, Chakravarti, 1879. Letter, Madras, to George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., London, acknowledging receipt of the book Sermon on the Mount by Swami Prabhavananda. December 30 1964  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 32

Sitwell, Dame Edith, 1887-1964. Letter, Renishaw, Nr. Sheffield, Derbyshire, to George Allen and Unwin, Ltd., London, asking permission to quote from Ernest Boyd's translation of Jean Cocteau's Opium in her book A Poet's Notebook. December 1 1942  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 33

Squire, Sir John Collings, 1884-1958. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, concerning a publishing matter. September 22 1919?  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 34

Stacpoole, H. de Vere. Postcard, Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] thanking him for his previous letter. November 13 1947  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 35

Swinnerton, Frank Arthur, 1884. Letter, Cranleigh, Surrey, to Sir Stanley Unwin, thanking him for his kind remarks and for the book Cuckoo Narrow. He mentions Viola Garvin choosing books for him to review. April 17 1937  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 36

Tagore, Sir Rabindranath, 1861-1941. Letter, Bengal, to Mr. Bhabani Bhattacharyna, London, giving permission to publish the volume of poems which Bhattacharyna translated into English from the original Bengali. December 24 1931  1 l. in part typescript and holograph signed.

 1 37

Toynbee, Arnold Joseph, 1889. Letter, Westmorland, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] expressing thanks for Sir Stanley's "settling [his] query so promptly ... August 27 1960  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 38

Trevelyan, S M. Letter, Cambridge, to Sir Stanley Unwin [London] apologizing for the "fuss" over the sale, which has turned out to be on most generous terms, of something, possibly a manuscript, belonging to Janet. May 2 1956  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 39

Walpole, Sir Hugh, 1884-1941. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, in which he politely refuses to do a book on a topic suggested by Sir Stanley because he has certain novels, belles lettres, and criticism in mind to write in the time he has left. November 18 1940  1 l. holograph signed.

 1 40

Woolf, Leonard, 1880. Letter, London, to Sir Stanley Unwin, London, in which he asks that his writings, if possible, not be included in a book which George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. intend to publish. December 12 1931  1 l. typescript signed.

 1 41

Sotheby Sale Catalogue, page 9, containing description of Lot 24. July 23 1976  1 p. photocopy.

 1 42