What Should Persephone Publish Next?

I may be an eccentric laughing quietly to myself in the wilderness, but I'm a big fan of Margery Sharp. Not The Rescuers, but her light, whimsical novels for adults like The Nutmeg Tree, Cluny Brown, Britannia Mews, and (best of all) The Foolish Gentlewoman.

Sharp's first novel, Rhododendron Pie, is extremely hard, if not impossible, to come by. (LibraryThing doesn't even recognize it as a "touchstone.") I suggested to Nicola Beauman that it might be something for Persephone to add to its list. N.B. confessed that she wasn't a fan of Sharp.

De gustibus non disputandum est. But if you were to picket outside of 59 Lamb's Conduit Street on behalf of something you dearly wanted reissued in a dove gray binding, what would it be? If you ran Persephone, what would you publish next?

P.S. I see that Virago, bless them, reissued a Margery Sharp title, The Eye of Love, in 2004.

Oh, I absolutely love Margery Sharp!! I have mentioned her several times on LT, but no one else seems to know her work outside of her children's books. So we can laugh together in the wilderness!

I also thought The Gypsy in the Parlor was good, but I think you are right that The Foolish Gentlewoman is the best.

Well, I vote for Rhododendron Pie, too, because I would love to have a copy. I will look for The Eye of Love now that I know about it.

Well, Marise and Rob that's torn it! I have just ordered a copy of The Foolish Gentlewoman on your recommendations...

As for setting up a picket outside PB HQ - the phrase 'perish the thought' springs to mind, but actually I quite fancy the idea. As for which title I'd like to see them publish next, I shall have to ruminate over a pot tea.

I once wrote to Persephone to suggest With Malice Toward Some by Margaret Halsey, but it was a no go. I did get a nice response, though, saying that it had been suggested in the past. I can't really remember the reasons they decided not to publish it, but I was disappointed as it's one of my very favourites.

I'm ashamed to say that I'm not familiar with Margery Sharp, but I shall now be on the lookout for The Foolish Gentlewoman as well as the elusive Rhododendron Pie.

Marise, I believe almigwin also mentioned Margery Sharp in another thread (can't remember where, as usual) and, more specifically, The nutmeg tree.
I feel now compelled to look for her books (oh, I am soooo sorry!). Will notify you of my (if any) progress.

By the bye, what is the matter with Persephone Books? Shouldn't they be eager to listen to their readers' advice? Go figure.....

Well, now I am adding Margery Sharp to my list too!

Same here!

oh dear.

I found her website - and a wealth of used copies from amazon.com

http://www.margerysharp.com/

How about Stella Gibbons? Her Cold Comfort Farm is one of my favorite books--and actually the only one of hers I have read. I'd love Persephone to publish one of the other Cold Comfort books or any of her other work, of which there is a lot.

Coincidentally, I'm currently reading Stella Gibbons' The Matchmaker, which I'm really enjoying. It's one of those novels about an English family trying to adjust to life after WWII (of which, in my humble opinion, the outstanding examples are Molly Panter-Downes' One Fine Day and Marghanita Laski's The Village).

I've just droped The Foolish Gentlewoman into my amazon basket - I'm going to have to give up groups I think, all it is doing is adding more stress to my floor!

>11 Caroline_McElwee: LOL! I know what you mean about the stress on the floor!! Not to mention the wallet! I hope you enjoy Sharp's book as much as I did. It was the first I read by her and the best so far, imho. :) I have The Eye of Love on order...

Don't give up the group! Have someone put extra supports under the floor.

Now that Marise and I have successfully proselytized for Margery Sharp, and caused the sales of The Foolish Gentlewoman to skyrocket, I wonder if someone will join me in trying to do the same for Jessamyn West's Cress Delahanty. It was long out of print—but we don't have to lobby Nicola Beauman to reprint it, since Feminist Press reissued it last year. An absolutely beautiful book—a girl's coming-of-age story that has truth and beauty for everyone. It's one of my favorite books, and I bought a copy for my favorite student for her seventeenth birthday, and it immediately became her favorite book, too.

Rob, you are a gold mine of information!!! Now I will have to look up Jessamyn West.....:-))

I must admit I don't remember ever reading anything by her. Maybe some short stories, but can't say for sure. Sounds wonderful and I am adding it to my ever growing wishlist! (I love finding an author I haven't read before.) Thanks, Rob!

I sent an email to Nicola about an author I came across while researching Pandora Press. Her name is Sydney Owenson also known as Lady Morgan.

Here's a website to give more information. (I haven't read it through yet)

http://www.sydneyowenson.com/index.html

Nicola replied that she'd look into her and get back to me.

If you get a chance, let me know what you think as well!

How do you all feel about Jan Struther's Mrs. Miniver? It's decidedly different from the movie. I was only able to read it when I found an old used edition at the Strand in New York some years ago.

I have Struther's Try Anything Twice, but only have the film version of Mrs Miniver to go by.

I have the Virago Mrs. Miniver, but I don't know how easy it is to come across.

I have Mrs Miniver in Mount TBR!

#1
Unfortunately, I don't know of any obscure author ( although I do wish someone would republish Noel Streatfeild's books for children in a unabridged edition ! ) but I've seen the movie adaptation of Cluny Brown ( based on the book by Margery Sharp ) and absolutely loved it. I'll order a copy of The Eye of Love so that Virago knows people want her works republished. Thank you for this discovery, I had no idea the movie was based on a book ! ( and I happen to love The Rescuers ).
The website given by bleuroses is very useful, it also gives many links to pages dedicated to other obscure authors ( and a link to anglophilebooks, which I had never heard of ! ).

You should all write to Faber Finds asking for the titles you love to be reprinted : it's a brand new thing which will be a print on demand business for books which wouldn't sell well if printed normally. DO TRY !
http://www.faberfinds.co.uk/lost/

Thank you, Sibylle!
I have been trying to interest different publishers, including Virago (they never even replied to my e-mail) and Persephone (Nicola Beauman replied with a very snobbish condescending tone, negatively of course, which obviously did not endear her to me), about the re-publication of the works by Annie Vivanti, an Anglo-Italian author who lived between 1866 and 1942.
I have a few of her books (in Italian), and I believe it would be worth re-publishing those she wrote in English.
I will definitely write to Faber!!
:-))

>22 Sibylle.Night:, 23 Sibylle that is an interesting venture thanks for the link. Miss P, here's another: On Demand Books, although not quite on the same lines and still very much at the development stage, I think it's an interesting enterprise.

Goodness--I hadn't read this thread before. Now I've started a new list--Books to Find and Read (with the emphasis on FIND).

Up till now I'd "only" had three lists going: To Read (general), Viragos to read, and Persephones to read. Now I have four.

ARRGGHHH!!!!

Lynn, you came to the RIGHT place!

#16 bleuroses - I would be very interested in your research into Pandora press...I have several of the Pandora: Mothers of the Novel series collected over the years that they were published...One of them is The O'Briens and the O'Flahertys by Lady Morgan published in 1988 ..Each edition carried a list of those published in the Mothers of the Novel series..

Did your research take any particular approach? Is your research available to read if possible? - Hope so..

Bleuroses, I second mrspenny's request! Even a short summary about Pandora would be helpful. I'm not familiar with Pandora but would like to be. (How could one not be if they published a series named "Mothers of the Novel"???)

Earlier today I googled Pandora Press and could not get anything. How would you go about that?
It sounds so interesting!

The following information is included in one of the editions of Mothers of the Novel series:-

"Pandora is reprinting 18th and 19th century novels written by women. Each novel is being reset in modern typography and introduced to readers today by contemporary women writers". It goes on to list the titles available in the series.

Pandora also published a companion volume for the series:
Mothers of the Novel: 100 good women writers before Jane Austen by Dale Spender published in 1986 and reprinted in 1987.

I have to go out presently but if anyone is interested I can enter the list of titles later today.
The ones I have are published between 1986 and 1988.

I googled and came up with this:

The companion novel is
Mothers of the Novel: 100 good women writers before Jane Austen by Dale Spender (0863582516)
Dale Spender also edited the books in the Mothers of the Novel series.

According to WorldCat, the other novels in the series are:

Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph by Frances Sheridan (086358134X)
Discipline by Mary Brunton (0863581056)
A Women's History of Sex by Harriett Gilbert (0863581420)
Canterbury Tales by Harriet Lee and Sophia Lee (0863583083)
Belinda by Maria Edgeworth (0863580742)
The Old Manor House by Charlotte Turner Smith (0863581358)
The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless by Eliza Haywood (0863580904)
Memoirs of Emma Courtney by Mary Hays (0863581323)
Adeline Mowbray by Amelia Alderson Opie (0863580858)
A Simple Story by Elizabeth Inchbald (0863581366)
Helen by Maria Edgeworth (0863581048)
The O'Briens and the O'Flahertys by Lady Morgan (0863582893)
The Wild Irish Girl by Lady Morgan (0863580971)
Self-Control by Mary Brunton (086358084X)
The Wanderer; or Female Difficulties by Fanny Burney (086358263X)
Secresy; or The Ruin on the Rock by Eliza Fenwick (0863583075)
Emmeline: the orphan of the castle by Charlotte Turner Smith (0863582648)
Patronage by Maria Edgeworth (0863581064)
Munster Village by Mary Hamilton (0863581331)
The Female Quixote; or The Adventures of Arabela by Charlotte Lennox (0863580807)
Governess; or, Little Female Academy by Sarah Fielding (086358182X)

They all look good!

Christiguc - thanks for posting the titles - those listed are the same as those listed in a copy of one of the editions I have.

Good to hear you are safe..

Looks like Pandora has been covered - and most excellently so! Thank you Christina! Many of the above titles were also published by Broadview Literary Texts - another excellent small publisher with handsome covers. I also noticed that the links show other editions rather than Pandora. As I begin unboxing my books, I'll re-enter my Pandora's ISBNs and scan their covers.

Christina - Marise reported earlier that you were in good shape down Houston way. Thank goodness! You've been in my thoughts.

Edited to add the link to Broadview Press

Thank you Christina for the list! You are a gem!! (Even though now I will feel compelled to go look for those books).
I only have three of them but, of course, sooner or later I will have to get the others!

I am glad to hear that you are safe, and not in the eye of Ike. I have been thinking a lot about you and Julie (Eurydice), and I feel better in knowing you are ok.

A few years ago, I found a copy of Dorothy Whipple's 1949 novel Because of the Lockwoods at Powells bookstore, and I finally read it last week. As is usual with DW's work, it's a page turner.

It's about the financial and social struggles of the Hunter family and their dependence on their affluent former neighbors, the Lockwoods. The chapters set in provincial France are particularly well done and there is a love scene that is as tense and awful as the King Marke walk-in in Tristan and Isolde.

A few years ago, I found a copy of Dorothy Whipple's 1949 novel Because of the Lockwoods at Powells bookstore, and I finally read it last week. As is usual with DW's work, it's a page turner.

It's about the financial and social struggles of the Hunter family and their dependence on their affluent former neighbors, the Lockwoods. The chapters set in provincial France are particularly well done and there is a love scene that is as tense and awful as the King Marke walk-in in Tristan and Isolde.

So, Ortolan, do you think Persephone might decide to publish it?

Persephone has shown an affinity to Dorothy Whipple--and rightfully so, I hear! Have you suggested it, Ortolan?

I read Because of the Lockwoods earlier this year - it seems to be the only one of her books easily found in the US - and agree with with Ortolan, a real page turner. After listening to Someone at a Distance on BBC4 recently, I am a true Whipple fan.

Does Persephone really accept suggestions from readers?

I'm willing to bet that Nicola Beaumann is aware of Because of the Lockwoods and is familiar with the entire Dorothy Whipple backlist, so I hope it's on schedule.

Next time I place an order, I'll send her a note about it.

This is the second Dorothy Whipple novel I've read with sharply drawn chapters set in France (the other is Someone at a Distance) back when that country took Catholicism seriously. So I wonder if DW actually spent any time there, and how. But she could have easily just imagined it, like Shakespeare writing about the Rialto without setting foot in Venice.

After Tea by Dorothy Whipple, to start the day.

Thank you, bleuroses! Perfect short story for the morning.

Thanks for that, bleu!! A wonderful start to my day!

What about Dodie Smith. She did publish other adult novels besides I capture the castle. Several sound quite good. I've just ordered two. One I did not order, The Girl in the Candle-Lit Bath, sounds enticing but is quite expensive. And more Noel Streatfeld, some of the humorous adult fiction, not the sorrowful stuff.

I believe Saplings falls into the "sorrowful stuff" category and yet it's one of the best books I've ever read. I would love for Persephone to publish more of her books, she's an amazing writer, never sentimental. I Capture the Castle is also one of my favourite books, I wish I could have access to more of Dodie's adult fiction as well.
You know what ? I'll write Nicola an email suggesting that, it cannot hurt and the worst that can happen is that she'll say no.

I believe that Julian Barnes is Dodie Smith's literary executor.

And the agent representing the estate of Dodie Smith is Laurence Fitch.

I think more of Oriel Malet's books could be added to the list of Persephone Possibles...

Wow,

You guys all sound like book world insiders. How exciting.

So much knowledge leaves me speechless! WOW and more WOW!!!!!!!

mrspenny, you mentioned that you'd like to see more Oriel Malet on Persephone's list. Tell me more about her corpus. I couldn't find much (of course I wasn't doing a serious search) on her other than on her relationship with du Maurier.

Nicola sent me a very nice although disappointing response to my Noel Streatfeild query (does she have any plans to reprint more of her adult books?)

"Alas no, not at present - but if you find one that is as good please do let us know as we would love to do another."

I don't buy second-hand but apparently I'll have to at some point. About Dodie Smith, I knew that Julian Barnes was her literary executor. One of my favourite teachers is a specialist of his work and has met him several times, I think he even came for a lecture here (Sorbonne) a few years ago. I'll try to ask her if she knows anything (coincidentally, my last class two hours ago was with her, one of the best classes I've ever been to, it was brilliant).

# 52 - urania1 - it seems that the information on Oriel Malet is somewhat scare - she is not included in the guide to English women writers nor in any of the other references I have - so this is all I have on her works -

Born circa 1928 - daughter of 7th Earl of Lisburne and Regina de Brittencourt - grew up and was educated in Wales - first novel published when she was 17 - her second novel won the John Llewelyn Rhys prize in 1945 - her third novel was a fictionalised biography of Marjory Fleming.

Publications:

1943 - Trust in Spring;
1945 - My Bird Sings;
1946 - Marjory Fleming(published by Persephone);
1948 - Miss Josephine and the Colonel;
1952 - Beginner's Luck;
1952 - Green Leaves of Summer;
1953 - Jemima;
1955 - Angel with a Sword;
1957 - Jam Today;
1959 - Horses of the Sun;
1965 - Marraine - Portrait of my Godmother;
1993 - Letters from Menabilly (ed);

She was greatly influence by her godmother who was French and Malet moved to France and lived the remainder of her life there.

Although she was younger than Daphne Du Maurier, they were friends and Du Maurier was also her mentor. Letters from Menabilly is a selected collection of the letters between them at the time Du Maurier was living at the house named "Menabilly" owned by Phillip Rashleigh.

I would be very pleased if somebody else could expand on the above information particularly whether OM is still living or if she is deceased the whereabouts of her grave.

I have forwarded an email to Persephone inquiring as to whether they intend to publish any other books by OM and I am waiting for a response..

Wonderful mrspenny!
Good luck with Persephone. I have the feeling that, unless they decide to publish a book, they are not really welcoming readers' suggestions. I know, I should not be so skeptical, but after the VERY condescending reply I got the only time I enquired about the possible publication of an author, I do not have warm and fuzzy feelings for Persephone (even if I like the books).

#53 I don't buy second-hand books
I've never heard of such a thing!

I would love anything by Dodie Smith. I discovered I Capture the Castle as an adult and it's one of my favorites. Also, I'd like to see them reprint some Jean Rhys. I found a copy of Left Bank and other stories but it was quite a rare find. Perhaps some Mrs Robert Henrey as well?

#56
Well, there's a first time for everything :p I just don't. I like to have my books in clean, fresh copies, and I like to pay the publishers for their service, and the author if he/she's still alive.

Sibylle and others,

I have just finished three books that might or not be of interest to Persephone readers:

Dodie Smith's The New Moon with the Old - pretty mediocre as far as I'm concerned.

Stella Gibbons' The Bachelor - If you're expecting another Cold Comfort Farm, this book will disappoint you; however, if you enjoy Margery Sharp's novels, you'll like this book. It has all the ingredients of romantic farce - a bachelor of 48 or so, disappointed in love many years ago; his sister, also unmarried and determined that her brother will remain the same way - the better to keep him at her beck and call; a waifish but wily refugee from some vaguely eastern European country (totally imaginary) whose inhabitants are nominally Moslem. The setting: England during WWII. And did I mention, the wacky sister is a pacifist, except where brothers in love are concerned?

And finally, my personal favorite: Noel Streatfeild's Aunt Clara. The ingredients: One aged and reprobate (but wealthy) uncle who owns a brothel, racing hounds and horses; his man of all trades; a whole host of greedy, conniving relatives; one virtuous and completely unworldly cousin (Aunt Clara); and a couple of illegitimate children raised as trapezee artists. Does it get any better than that?

I think I would like Aunt Clara....definitely!

Ah, fancy your being on line.

Ah! I got on line a little while ago. I have been fighting with a migraine the entire day.

How awful. All my LT friends seem to be falling apart today.

Urania, PLEASE PLEASE copy the Noel Streatfeild part of your message into an email and send it to Persephone. I asked them to reprint more of her adult books but Nicola told me she had yet to find something as good as Saplings (which I agree is a pretty high standard).
Your comment on Dodie's book broke my heart, I'm always afraid of reading more books by authors I worship for just one of their books. I Capture the Castle is a great favourite and I knew that she couldn't possibly write a book that would be so life-changing. Books like that come but rarely.
The Bachelor sounds very good ! Perhaps Virago will reprint it as well, they seem to be interesting in her stuff. You should also send them an email, in case they want to reprint more after Nightingale Woods.

I wish all books were to be forever in print. How publishers can let them books go out of print after rescuing them defies understanding. I must say I had never thought it possible before stumbling upon Virago.

Sibylle,

I, too, was broken-hearted about the Dodie Smith book. I've considered taking a look at her plays. Perhaps they're better. And there are two other books apart from The Girl in the Candle-Lit Bath that are relatively easy to obtain at nonusurious prices. Is the contact information for Persephone and Virago on the website?

Absolutely urania. Both websites have a 'Contact Us' tab.

Urania, you can send an email to info@persephonebooks.co.uk & Virago.Press@littlebrown.co.uk

I recently read a 1942 novel called Man about the House by Francis Brett Young (yes a man!) FBY is an author i have become intrested in (as he was a local author) - this novel although apparently not typical of his - would make a lovely Persephone book I think. So should I be contacting someone at Persphone about it?

#67> Why not?

I read your review, Heaven-Ali. It looks like a book I would like to read. It also looks like it might be something Persephone would publish, so I think you should suggest it.

>67 Heaven-Ali: Yes! We talked about that didn't we! Definitely.

I need to tell them about Tales From Greenery Street, too - the followup to Greenery Street and very much not in print any more...

Good luck! Probably email them, I dunno... you can put my name to it as well if you want in case a list of names is better than one...

>67 Heaven-Ali: Heaven-Ali, sounds like a great read. Thank you for the recommendation.

>67 Heaven-Ali: I agree with Christiguc, that sounds like a book I want to read! Please suggest it to them!

>68 aluvalibri:,69, 70, 71

Ok have emailed them - I will let you all know what they say : )

Let's keep our fingers (and toes) crossed.

I have had a nice message from Nicola saying she will be getting a copy of Man about the House to read in the new year - not sure if that really means anything - but nice to get a reply so quickly.

I agree Heaven-Ali! Though they're in their busiest season (or so I hope) for Miss B. to consider your suggestion and reply so quickly is wonderful. I sent off an email to request another Biannually as the first one never arrived and their reply was as immediate.

Oh, I would love to be working in the shop at this time! What fun!