Ashley MS 2941

'The Book of Job': a play translated from the Polish of Bruno Winawer by Joseph Conrad; May-June 1921. Typescript with many autograph revisions and corrections, written on one side only of ninety-four large quarto leaves of white laid paper (ff. 5-98). Watermark a ram's head above 'ORIGINAL / CHARTHAM MILLS / KENT'. At the beginning four leaves of the same paper have been added, on which are written in Conrad's autograph a title page (f. 1), a list of dramatis personae (f. 2), a 'Note on characters' (f. 3), and a description of the scene in Act I together with a plan (f. 4). Conrad has also written a half-title at the head of f. 5, and a note on f. 98 'Note for T. J. W. This the first and probably the only translation I will ever undertake. The author is completely unknown to me. 25 June 1921 Joseph Conrad.'. Winawer's play was published in Poland in May 1921. Conrad has also signed ff. 1-4. The final text found in the MS. and typescript differs in many places, though not in any major respect, from that printed in The Book of Job, 1931. Bound up with the MS. is a letter from Conrad to T. J. Wise dated 9 Nov, 1921 asking to borrow the 'First Copy of the play Book of Job' as he has no clean copy of his own (f. 11). For Conrad's use of the terms 'First Draft' and 'First Copy' see 2946, ff. ii, iib, iv, ivb. Ashley Library Catalogue, i, p. 255.

Quarto; ff. ii+98.

Bruno Winawer, playwright: Joseph Conrad, alias Teodor Jósef Konrad Korzeniowski, novelist: Drama ENGLISH: Play, 'The Book of Job', translated by Joseph Conrad from the Polish of Bruno Winawer: 1921: Typescript with autogr. revisions and corrections. Signed.

includes:

• f. ii Joseph Conrad, alias Teodor Jósef Konrad Korzeniowski, novelist: Drama ENGLISH: Thomas James Wise, book collector: Letter rel. to Conrad's 'The Book of Job' to Thomas James Wise from Joseph Conrad: 1921.