Posted by Bill Warnock on February 26, 2000 at 05:14:51 from porcupine1-23.highway1.net.au:
David Thewlis, who's been giving me some invaluable advice on tracking down some 1st edition Ransomes,
thought that Tarboard members might be interested in this:
I once had a letter from Arthur Ransome: now my greatest literary possession.
Having grown up in Glasgow during WW2, fascinated by the world he'd
created, I'd written to AR telling him that a friend of mine - who'd given
up hope of their kid taking to reading - had been interested when I
suggested he be offered Ransome's books. I lent the kid a few, and he took
off on reading. Result? Very pleased parents. My letter telling him about
this: went through Jonathon Cape I wrote to AR to tell him this, and he
replied thus:
Dec. 18. 1961
Dear Mr Warnock,
Thank you for your very welcome letter about those old books of mine, and,
please, if you happen to meet again the mother whose small son has dived
deep into 'Swallows and Amazons', thank her for her kind message. It makes
an aged doddering author very happy to be told that somewhere his books
have found one who is most obviously the reader for whom they were meant.
What you tell me of Rottnest and the Swan River makes me regret more than
ever that I have never been to Australia though it figured very largely in
the yarns of my grandfather who used to come home from his sheep station
every three or four years, bringing with him sharks' teeth, snakes' skins,
boomerangs and whatnot. There is not time in this life to do half the
things one plans to do.
With best wishes for Christman and 1962,
Yours sincerely
(and signed) Arthur Ransome
He enclosed a signed photograph of himself, taken on the Norfolk Broads in 1933.
So, you'll see why I decided to start collecting those first editions - a
passion for many years now.
I'm close to having the complete set of 1st editions, complete with original
jackets,
of the AR childrens' series, and am only short of 'Swallowdale',
'Winter Holiday'
and 'Coot Club'. If any members would be prepered to let go their precious
copies I'm more than willing to pay generous market prices to complete my set.
Collecting from Australia is somewhat difficult, and I'd appreciate
hearing from you.
Bill Warnock