FIRSTS ONLINE Winter 2020
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20. [WODEHOUSE, P.G.] FONSCOLOMBE, Benoit deA Collection of Contracts, Correspondence andAssociated Material Concerning the Post-War Frenchand German Publication History of the Novels of P.G.Wodehouse : From the Archives of Wodehouse’s FrenchTranslator and Agent, Benoit de FonscolombeV.p.: V.p., V.d.A small quantity of contracts and correspondence, holograph, typed, andduplicated. Some age-toning and historical letter-folds, but a very wellpreservedcollection.AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF ORIGINALCORRESPONDENCE FROM, TO AND ABOUT P.G.WODEHOUSE AND HIS FRENCH LITERARY AGENT BENOITDE FONSCOLOMBE, CONCERNING THE FRENCH- ANDGERMAN-LANGUAGE PUBLICATION OF WODEHOUSE’SNOVELS IN MAINLAND EUROPE AFTER THE SECONDWORLD WAR, INCLUDING CORRESPONDENCE ANDORIGINAL CONTRACTS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF EUROPEANPUBLISHERS.Although a regular correspondent with Wodehouse immediately afterthe war and through the 1950s, Benoit de Fonscolombe [1917-2012]is rarely cited in Wodehouse biographies, and then only ever describedas Wodehouse’s French translator. He was much more than that. In theearly 1940s De Fonscolombe was contracted to translate Wodehouse’smiddle-period work for the French market, and later becameWodehouse’s sole literary representative in France and Germany.Contracts and correspondence present in this archive show thatWodehouse gave de Fonscolombe complete power of attorney, allowinghim to make all print publication decisions in both countries without anyneed to consult his client. In addition, De Fonscolombe’s commissionwas 50% of all proceeds. It seems likely these arrangements, generouslyweighted in de Fonscolombe’s favour, were agreed by Wodehousein the knowledge that, immediately after the war, sale of his workin Europe might prove to be a sticky commercial proposition. Thebroadcasts he made on German radio during his internment had resultedin a severe backlash in Britain, with some politicians and newspapersaccusing him of treason, and after the war he never set foot in Englandagain. Rehabilitation of one’s reputation (and one’s sales) after such acatastrophic misjudgement clearly didn’t come cheap.De Fonscolombe’s first translation of a Wodehouse novel was HotWater, first published in London by Herbert Jenkins in 1932. DeFonscolombe’s version was published in France with the title SousPression by Nouvelles Editions in 1944. According to a letter dated2 April 1942 from the German publishers Tauchnitz (present in thiscollection), de Fonscolombe had written to them on 11 March that yearseeking to secure French translation rights for the book. He was referredto Wodehouse himself who, the letter says, was then to be found at theHotel Adlon in Berlin, Wodehouse’s address for nearly two years afterhis release from internment in 1941. The contract (present in thiscollection) was signed by Wodehouse and de Fonscolombe at the HotelBristol in Paris on 24 September 1942. A similar contract for translationrights to Jeeves and Thank You, Jeeves, also present in this collection,was drawn up by hand and signed by both parties on 20 November1944.Shortly after the war, de Folonscombe became not just Wodehouse’stranslator, but his sole French representative. In a letter fromWodehouse’s UK literary agent A.P. Watt dated 31 December 1945(present in this collection), Peter Watt acknowledges de Folonscombe’sletter of 18 December: ‘I had already heard from Mr. Wodehouse thatyou were interested in the possibility of buying the French bookrightsin all his available works...’. on 27 October 1945, Wodehouse signed acontract signing over all rights to Hot Water to de Fonscolombe (seeItem 1(iv)), and the translation rights to a further four titles followed in1946. In a letter of 18 July 1947 [see 3(i) below] A.P. Watt confirmed deFonscolombe as Wodehouse’s sole representative of his literary affairs inFrance.The archive contains:1. Correspondence from Wodehouse to de Fonscolombe concerningFrench translation rights, 1942 to 1950:Including:i) Typed contract, dated 24 September 1942 and signed by both parties,transferring French translation rights for Hot Water (Sous Pression) tode Fonscolombe;ii) Handwritten contract (in de Fonscolombe’s hand), dated 20November 1944 and signed by both parties, transferring Frenchtranslation rights for Thank You, Jeeves (Merci, Jeeves) to deFonscolombe;iii) Handwritten receipt, in de Fonscolombe’s hand and signed byWodehouse, dated 27 October 1945 and referring back to monies dueas an advance against the publication of Sous Pression on 7 October1943.iv) TLS and signed contract from Wodehouse to de Fonscolombe, inFrench, both dated 27 October 1945, signing over all rights to HotWater to de Fonscolombe;v) TLS in French to de Fonscolombe, 12 March 1946, assigning to himFrench translation rights to Young Men In Spats, Blandings Castle,Ukridge Eggs, and Beans and Crumpets: (‘Il est entendu que vous êtesseul accrédité pour juger au mieux de mes interets en cette matière...’);vi) TLS and two copies of the signed contract, in French, to deFonscolombe, 25 March 1947, assigning to him all rights except cinemarights to Thank You, Jeeves;vii) TLS to de Fonscolombe, 6 September 1950, discussing The SmallBachelor (...’It was done in America as a silent film, somewhere about27
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