Rare

Stories of Africa

1947 Hardcover 

Small Book 359 Pages

In 1946, E.R. Seary, a lecturer at Rhodes University, came to Marquard with a proposal to compile a book of South African tales. Marquard immediately recognised that it had potential as a set work for the school senior certificate, and he thought he could also get the railway bookshops to stock it. In the mean time, Marquard asked Seary whether he hadnt in fact already promised this book to Jutas. He had, which Marquard described as a somewhat ticklish position. He suggested Seary write to Jutas explaining that as the book had wide appeal (really?) he wanted an international publisher such as OUP to handle it. It doesnt seem hugely convincing to me, but Jutas apparently didnt put up a fight about it and Marquard was asked by his bosses at OUP in England to start getting quotes from Cape Town printers to get the book produced. Except he seems not to have bothered or misunderstood or something because on 9 October 1946 his boss wrote to him saying

I ended my last letter on this subject by asking if you would get estimates for production in Cape Town. Since then you have pulled a fast one over me by depositing the typescript on my table. This should not be taken as a precedent! Driven to do something desperate I have persuaded Headley Brothers to displact one of my less urgent books (EC Parnwell to Marquard, 9 October 1946).