13. NORTON, MaryA Collection of Correspondence between Mary Norton,her publisher and other Interested Parties, Relating to thePublication of Are All the Giants Dead?, including 4 ALSand 11 TLS (one photocopied) from the authorV.p.: N.p., V.d.A small quantity of typed and holograph correspondence, and associatedmaterials, between and concerning Mary Norton, her publisher, andinterested parties, relating to the publication of Are All The Giants Dead?,various sizes and dates, the whole housed in a manila folder. Some papers(mostly outsized) a little edgeworn, but overall very well preserved.Mary Norton [1903-1922] is best known as the author of The Borrowersseries, and the creator of the source material for Disney’s 1971 classic,Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Norton was born in London and travelledwidely, but after the dissolution of her first marriage in 1972 she movedto Ireland, with her second husband, the writer Lionel Bonsey. It washere, in Westwood House, Rosscarberry, County Cork, that shewrote Are All the Giants Dead?, published in 1975, a novel about themelancholy that befalls the heroes and heroines of fairy stories whenthey’re living in a retirement home, their days of adventure behind them.The earliest documents in the file are two ALS from Norton to theChildren’s Books Editor at Dent, Gwen Marsh. The first, undated,begins: ‘Dear Gwen, Although I have a new ‘Borrowers’ half written, Ibroke off to write the enclosed (‘Are all the Giants Dead?’). It is in oneway not quite a children’s book but I hope the story line may carry itthrough to most ages. I am sending it to Mr. Dent who has been so kindto me over guarantees etc.’ (Dent had published the first five Borrowerstitle by this time. It’s interesting to note in the light of this letter thatthe sixth and final Borrowers book, was not published until 1982.) Inthe second letter, sent from the same Cadogan Place address as thefirst and dated 21 March 1974, Norton supplies rewrites to the openingchapter of the book, and also writes: ‘I so enjoyed my luncheon with youand Mr. Dent. Thank you both so much!’.The same month, Marsh wrote to Norton’s agent offering an advanceof £2000 on the book, and outlining proposed royalty arrangements.Tantalisingly, she also writes: ‘It is understood that if we were to getinvolved with Maurice Sendak as an illustrator these royalty rights wouldbe revised. (The book was eventually illustrated by Brian Froud, who wascontracted by June 1974.) The Editorial Proposal Form is enthusiastic,and publication is set for 27 June 1975.In the first of many TLS present in the file, dated 23 November 1974and written on her Westwood House notepaper, Norton pronouncesherself more than happy with Froud’s work: ‘The drawings are quitewonderful. Brian is a genius! If you could send me his address, I will writeto him personally. There is so much to see in them. One is always findingnew details. Please thank him.’ Discussions between Norton and Marshcontinue -- the sourcing of the poem which appears at the front of thebook, the choice of author’s photograph (‘I am sending the photographback in the forlorn hope you will use it. I am afraid you may have the onewith a terrible (false) toothy smile, which I hate!’) -- and the dedicationis settled: ‘It is ‘TO OLIVER KNOX, WHOSE FAULT IT WAS.’ Heencouraged me to write 200 words a day.’ (In the end, no author’sphotograph was used.)By January 1975 discussions are well advanced with Harcourt, Brace,who went on to publish the US edition of the book, using Froud’sillustrations. And some time early in 1975, in a photocopied TLS,Norton writes to object to part of the proposed author’s blurb: ‘...thatis the phrase ‘in a Queen Anne house, which they have renovated mostbeautifully.’ I know it is not meant to be so, but it sounds so terriblyvulgar, in a nouveau riche, Homes-and-Gardens ‘ours-is-a-nice-’ouse’sense. I would have liked it to be just ‘lives in County Cork, and it washere that ARE ALL THE GIANTS DEAD was written. ... I don’t thinkit is any business of the world in general whether I am living with mysecond husband or my sixth, nor that one’s house is nicely decorated.Some people might think it awful!’ (Norton lost the argument: theoffending phrase appears in the book’s blurb.)Published in June 1975 in an initial print run of 20,000 copies, the firstcritical response was not heartening. On 18 July, Gwen Marsh wroteto Norton: ‘What a rubbishy review the Sheffield Morning Telegraphhas given you! ...if he cannot appreciate your simple, subtle, gracefulstyle he must be blind. ... [T]he whole piece is too stupid. Please, we begof you, don’t be downhearted. Of course, they’ll be people who don’ttake to this story or prefer The Borrowers, chacun à son gout....’. In anALS reply, Norton writes: ‘ He is at perfect liberty not to like the book-- but it is not right to attribute imaginary motives etc. to the author. ...Thank you again, dear Gwen, for writing so kindly and so promptly.’ Laterreviews are more positive, and so is the professional response. Nortonwrites: ‘David Heneker (Irma La Douce, Half A Sixpence, Charlie Girl,etc.) and his wife are coming to stay on Wednesday. He wants us to tryto collaborate on a musical of ‘Giants’. By the same token, I had a longloving letter from Joshua Logan!’A handwritten postcard from Elaine Moss to Vanessa Hamilton of Dent,sent in 1976, brings slightly embarrassing news about the book’s title:‘The poem by Hilary Pepler which Mary Norton mis-remembered (I’mafraid) ... begins “Are all the dragons dead...”!! The file is silent on MaryNorton’s response.A fine collection of material, never before offered for sale, telling ingreat detail the publication history of a book from one of the twentiethcentury’s best-loved children’s authors.£2,500 (plus 20% VAT to EU purchasers)16
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