Add MS 88998/8/5

Harwood's correspondence (1964-72) concerning his translations of Tzara's poems and their publication. With a small group of cuttings and notes (1963-78).

(1). 1964-1965

• 3 June 1964, Harwood to [Walter] Strachan. Typed draft (1 sheet).
• 6 June 1964, Harwood to Murray Morton (ed. Limbo). Typed draft (1 sheet).
• 22 June 1964. Autograph note on Tzara (on the verso of a slip promoting a 'Night Train' reading, 24 May 1964).
• 28 juin 1964, Harwood to Christophe Tzara (Tristan Tzara's son). Refers to enclosing a copy of Night Train, and to his ongoing translation work, and asks six questions about Tzara's life and work. Typed draft in French (1 sheet).
• 31 August 1964. Cutting (with envelope) from the Evening Standard, concerning a drawing (reproduced) by Joan Miró 'in memory of Tristan Tzaba [sic], the Rumanian author who died of cancer last year', the drawing given to the editor of Adam.
• 16 octobre 1964, Ksar-es Souk, Maroc. Bernard Jakobiak to Harwood. 'Merci pour Soho. Une sympathique revue bien présentée.' Autograph letter in French (2 sheets, with envelope).
• 13 décembre 1964, Bernard Jakobiak to Harwood. Typed letter in French (1 sheet).
• 9 March 1965. Harwood to [James] Laughlin, enquiring if New Directions would be interested in publishing a volume of Tzara's work in translation. Typed copy letter (1 sheet).
• 22 March 1965, New York. Laughlin to Harwood. Unable to publish such a book at present but 'might consider the possiblility of a section on Tzara in one of our New Directions annuals' (poems with an essay) Typed aerogramme.
• Typed list of poems sent to Laughlin.
• 6 April 1965. Laughlin to Harwood. Pleased that Harwood has agreed 'to undertake the essay on Tzara', and has forwarded Harwood's translations to Alan Swallow in Denver. Typed letter (1 sheet).
• 6 April 1965. Laughlin to Alan Swallow. 'I do hope you will be able to take him on'. Typed carbon copy.
• 23 September 1965. Harwood to Paul [Evans], originally enclosing six translated poems of Tzara for Eleventh Finger (edited by Evans). The poems are listed at the foot of the letter. Typed carbon copy (1 sheet).

(2). 1969

• 17 March 1969. Harwood to Michael [Benedikt]. Originally enclosing a selction of translations of Tzara. 'The only possible difficulty [with publication] being that I've signed a contract with Fulcrum Press in London who're going to publish a selection of the translations plus a bibliography in a year & a bit. But I'm sure this can be negotiated around.' Typed carbon copy (1 sheet).
• 4 August 1969, New York. Michael Benedikt to Harwood. Keen to publish.

(3). 1971-1972

• [c August 1971], Philadelphia. Victor Bockris to Harwood. Long letter with various items of personal news, and very interested in publishing Harwood's translations (Telegraph Books). Undated typed letter (4 sheets), with autograph PS.
• 22-26 October, 1971, Better Books, London. Harwood to Bockris, responding positively and promising 'Mss in the post at the end of this week'. Typed carbon copy (4 sheets, sheets 3 and 4 on smaller Better Books headed paper).
• 2 November 1971. Harwood to Bockris, originally enclosing promised manuscript of Tzara translations. Typed carbon copy (2 sheets).
• 4 November 1971. Harwood to Bockris, confirming he has posted his translations. Comments on recent readings in Cambridge. Typed carbon copy (1 sheet).
• 7 November [1971]. Harwood to Bockris, originally enclosing 'the 2nd installment of the text for the Tzara poembook' - i.e 'list of sources' (not present). Typed carbon copy (1 sheet).
• 10 November 1971. Harwood to Bockris, originally enclosing 'Introduction' to the Tzara book. 'I breezily assured you a week or so ago that I'd rewrite it and expand it to about 4 or 5 pages, what in fact has happened is that I've cut it down even more.' Refers to Nikos Stangos (Penguin Books) wanting to publish a selection in a book to include 'Klee, Schwitters, Tzara & another. Would you object?' Typed cabon copy (1 sheet).
• 15 November 1971. Harwood to Bockris. Refers to being unhappy about the book being a joint Fulcrum/Telegraph production ('you are the one's doing it'), to the Penguin book with Stangos, to the 'new revolutionary Poetry Review now out' (ed. Eric Mottram), to discussion of a further anthology proposal from Penguin: 'want me to edit a big anthology of "experimental" poetry since about 1900' (Harwood has asked Bob Cobbing to be co-editor). 'Not sure how I could fit all that work in if going to Greece next year' (i.e. shortly, January 1972). Typed carbon copy (2 sheets).
• [18 November 1971, received 4 January 1972 - Harwood's pencil annotation]. Bockris to Harwood. Proposing to include ten photographs of Tzara in the middle of the book. Letter includes two short poems by Bockris. Typed letter (4 sheets), with envelope bearing letter reply notes in Harwood's hand.
• 27 November 1971. Harwood to Bockris. Further comments on the proposed book, on Mottram's Poetry Review ('How long it will last god knows'), and reading prospects for Bockris if he comes to UK. Typed carbon copy (2 sheets).
• 28 November 1971. Harwood to Bockris. Typed carbon copy (1 sheet).
• 6 December 1971. Harwood to Bockris, hoping for a contract from Bockris soon (pressure from Penguin, who 'definitely want to go ahead with the Klee-Arp-Schwitters-Tzara volume'). Typed carbon copy (1 sheet).
• 8 December 1971. Harwood to Bockris. Suggestions for photographs, giving book references. Typed carbon copy (2 sheets).
• 18 December 1971. Harwood to Bockris. 'The bibliography is just finished and I'll send it to you airmail on Monday (21st Dec.)'. Typed carbon copy (1 sheet).
• 1 January 1972. Harwood to Bockris. Departing for Greece on 10 January. Comments on contracts for his Tzara translations and for the separate bibliography. Typed carbon copy (2 sheets).

(4). Various Tzara-related cuttings and other material (1963-78)

• Prospectus for Bracelli-Bizzarie (limited edition published by Alain Brieux, Paris, 1963). Édition originale de ces 'propos' de Tzara sur les Bizzarie de varia figure de Giovanni Battista Braccelli (1624), artiste florentin méconnu jusqu'en 1930 et devenu célèbre grâce au regard nouveau que les surréalistes portèrent sur son œuvre (située essentiellement à Rome entre 1624 et 1649). Le texte de Tzara est suivi d'une notice par Alain Brieux, Aventure d'un livre et notes bibliographiques. L'édition comprend un album reproduisant les 50 gravures de Bracelli.
• Review by George Melly of Selected Works of Alfred Jarry. Cutting, The Observer (25 July 1965).
• Publisher's leaflet for Tzara, Les premiers poèmes (Editions Seghers, 1965).
• Undated autograph notes on surrealism (1 sheet) from Cyril Connolly, The Unquiet Grave (1944).
• Undated autograph notes, beginning 'Ralph Bates met/knew of Tzara in 1936'.
• French publisher's presentation (by Jean Frémon) of Tzara, Oeuvres complètes. Annotated by Harwood: 'ordered 31/1/78 from Grant & Cutler'.
• Review by Roger Cardinal of Tzara, Oeuvres complètes. Cutting, Times Literary Supplement (13 October 1978).