Many who read this have doubtless already seen the little printed fall announcements that went out from my office some months ago. In some respects this announcement is inaccurate. For example, I shall not publish de Bekker’s “Cuba.” Mr. de Bekker was delayed in getting the manuscript written and as the book required elaborate and special handling from an advertising point of view—it was to carry much advertising matter—I decided finally that since he was able to get another publisher it would be better so.
Over a year ago I persuaded Dr. A. A. Goldenweiser of The New York School for Social Research to undertake to write a good general introduction to anthropology—for the average reader. This was announced as “The Groundwork of Civilization,” but as Dr. Goldenweiser has only just delivered his manuscript, the book must go over until next year.
And now I would like to say something about my plans for 1921. In a general sort of way I want to give more attention to the work of American authors and publish more American books. American publishers show, I believe, altogether too much deference to work that reaches us from England. Obviously most of the time the young English novelist is a better craftsman than the American, but there are springing up all over the United States—in Detroit, St. Louis and Washington as well as New York, men and women who do know how to write and who have observed to advantage the life about them. To bring forward work of this kind shall be my chief aim. However, we must give the devil his due even if he be a foreigner, and I am quite sure that the feature of our spring list (I cannot be positive of this because at the time of writing negotiations are still in progress) will be our representation in America of the great Danish house of Gyldendal. Gyldendal were established in Copenhagen in 1770 and control today the majority of the best books published in Denmark and Norway. Not long ago they opened a branch in London especially for the publication of English translations of the books they control. I plan next spring to bring out the first of these, as follows:
“Growth of the Soil,” by Knut Hamsun. H. G. Wells has written Messrs. Gyldendal as follows regarding this novel:
Easton Glebe,
Dunmow,
June 18, 1920.
Dear Sirs:
I have not yet written to thank you for sending me “Growth of the Soil” and making me acquainted with the work of Knut Hamsun. I am ashamed to say I have never before read a book by this great writer and indeed I did not know of his existence until now. It amazes me that he has so long been kept from the English reading public and the sooner you give us more of him the better I shall be pleased. I do not know how to express the admiration I feel for this wonderful book without seeming to be extravagant. I am not usually lavish with my praise but indeed the book impresses me as among the very greatest novels I have ever read. It is wholly beautiful; it is saturated with wisdom and humour and tenderness; these peasants are a triumph of creative understanding. I have seen no reviews here that do justice to this work. But I find my friends talking of it and, as it were, getting up their courage to appreciate it at its proper value. Give us one or two more books by Hamsun in English and our sluggish but on the whole fairly honest criticism will begin to realize the scale he is built upon—I say as much.