Letters from Kenneth Slessor to Angus & Robertson, together with a portrait photograph of Kenneth Slessor

MLMSS 11780

fonds

1956-1970

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs

9607232

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder), includes 1 photograph - manuscript, typescript

Kenneth Adolf Slessor OBE (1901–1971) was an Australian poet and journalist. Although widely regarded as one of Australia's foremost poets, he made his living chiefly as a newspaper journalist, mostly for the Sun and Smith’s Weekly. During World War II he worked as a war correspondent, reporting from North Africa, Greece, Syria and New Guinea. The bulk of Slessor's poetic work was produced before the end of the War. His best known poems are probably ‘Five Bells’, relating to Sydney Harbour and the death of his friend Joe Lynch, and ‘Beach Burial’, a tribute to Australian troops who fought in World War II.

Angus & Robertson, the Australian bookselling and publishing firm, was established in 1886 by David Angus and George Robertson. It has played a central role in the promotion and development of Australian literature.

Beatrice Deloitte Davis AM, MBE (1909-1992) was Australia's first full-time book editor, appointed by Angus & Robertson in 1937. She nurtured a generation of writers and was an important influence in shaping Australian literature.

George Ferguson (1910-1998) was a bookseller, editor, publisher and managing director of Angus & Robertson.

Douglas Stewart (1913-1985) was born in New Zealand. After working as a newspaper journalist, he moved to Sydney in 1938 where he became literary editor of The Bulletin and, in 1961, literary adviser to Angus & Robertson.

Reference:
Compiled from the Library's acquisition file

A small collection of six letters and one photograph from Kenneth Slessor to Beatrice Davis (1), George Ferguson (2) and Douglas Stewart (3) at the publishing firm Angus & Robertson.

1. Typed and signed letter from Slessor to Beatrice Davis, 8 February 1956, concerning the reprint of Slessor’s '100 Poems' and containing his suggestions for additions to the work and for changes in the sequence of the poems.

2. Typed and signed letter from Slessor to George Ferguson, 12 January 1959, thanking Ferguson for ‘his very kind message’.

3. Manuscript letter from Slessor to George Ferguson, 29 March 1967 (2 sides of a single sheet), in which Slessor expresses doubts as to the worth of publishing a collection of his prose work: "The truth is I have exhumed a lot of relics which fill me with shame and dissatisfaction and I have the uneasy conviction that the collection will be trivial, scrappy and dated." Despite these misgivings he says that he is prepared to accept Douglas Stewart’s opinion.

4. Manuscript letter from Slessor to Douglas Stewart, 28 June 1966 (2 sides a single sheet), concerning the writing and publication of Slessor’s reminiscences (the first part of which was previously published in The Bulletin) together with his book reviews and war despatches. Of the latter he is hard pressed to decide "how much still retains any interest". He concludes by saying he will leave it up to Stewart to make the selections and he suggests a good title for the collection might be 'Bread and Butter'.

5. Manuscript letter from Slessor to Douglas Stewart, 21 October 1969, concerning amendments to the proofs of an unnamed book.

6. Manuscript letter from Slessor to Douglas Stewart, 29 April 1970, concerning a party at Angus & Robertson from which Slessor woke next morning with "a champagne head".

7. Portrait photograph (B&W) of Kenneth Slessor, probably 1950s.

Copyright status:: In copyright
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder