Generation 12: Ende 19. Jahrh./ Beginn 20. Jahrh.
[1] Starnberg, 1 May 1947
Dear Miss Porter,
I wonder if you remember that you kindly authorized my brother Hans B. Wagenseil as long ago as 1937 to translate vour story THE OLD ORDER (which you had sent to him) and publish it
in a Swiss literary review. My brother had then written you from London and he was most interested in your work and very enthusiastic about it.
In the meantime times have changed very much you have become famous and my brother has come back to Germany. We have taken up translating and publishing; the latter in collaboration with Mrs. Harriet Schleber-Alvensleben who is going to New York in early fall, having married an American.
We have taken the liberty to publish this story of yours also in a little ant[h]ology of the best American, British and French short-stories, edited by my brother, together with a short biographical essay of each author. I am sending you the book under separate cover by printed matter post.
For the democratisation and reeducation of this country it would be most essential and important that also the very best of the American authors would be published in really good German translations. So far the US Mil.Gov. was only able to supply the rights of less important and not so well-known books and authors. But they are encouraging very much private initiative.
I am therefore asking you for your kind authorisation to publish a small volume of short stories, including THE GRAVE, MARIA CONCEPCION, THEFT, MAGIC, ROPE and OLD MORTALITY as well as THE LEANING TOWER and THAT TREE. As the editions in Germany are generally limited to 5000 copies owing to the paper shortage, we are unfortunately unable to pay a very high royalty. I suggest therefore 8% of the price of each book, with a certain advance payment which can only be sent to you with the permission of the US Mil.Gov. and had to be reserved for you in the meantime till the transfer will be possible to be effectuated.
My brother Hans B. Wagenseil would do the German translation. He is a translator of real reputation, having done authors such as William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, Dorothy Parker, Harold Nicolson, V. Sackville-West, Virginia Woolf, Vercors, Charles Vildrac, André Gide and others with much success.
Could you arrange for us to have a copy of "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" sent to us by printed matter post: this is the only book that I could not find here.
[2] By the way there is a very good essay on your work in the (German) "Amerikanische Rundschau": have you seen it or do you want me to send it to you?
As references may I give you the addresses of my friends The Hon. Harold Nicolson, Sissinghurst Castle, Kent, England, and Mr.William Prescott Holden, 353 Grove Street, Melrose, Mass. USA.
With my kindest regards, I am, dear liss Porter,
most sincerely yours,
KURT WAGENSEIL
University of Maryland, The Porter Papers