West, Rebecca, 1892-1983

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"My dearest Ric, You would never believe the things that have been happening to me. My life with the dear Miss Holts was wonderful but trying. The nature of their house can be gathered from the fact that they wanted to spend a summer in England two years ago and were only allowed to take five hundred each, which would never do, so they took two china pheasants off the mantlepiece and took hem[sic] to London and sold them at Sotheby's for four thousand pounds..."

Scope and Contents "My dear Ric, I write this in some agitation as I am not sure lest some report of what happened yesterday may have got back to England. It was a most fantastic incident. My journey started with an odd misaddventure[sic], I started from Jonnesburg[sic] on Wednesday morning in a temperature of round about 80%, and arrived at Bloemfontein in the same stuffy heat. This is a dreary town and my hotel was frightful, but I got through the day admirably, resting and doing some shops and having a most...

Scope and Contents "My dear Ric, I am back here in Johannesburg after a very odd trip. Nothing ever happens here normally. My stay in Maseru was not quite as I represented to you in the letter I sent from there, for I felt it was not safe to express myself freely after I had found my letter of credit spread out on the bed when I knew I had left it in its envelope in the handbag beside it. I liked my host, Gordon Hector, very much. He was not very intelligent and not very well-bred and quite obtuse, but he was...

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"My dear Ric, Just a line written between Karthur and Nairobi to tell you and the family that the flight till now has been very good. But thank goodness I wore my suit and took a white coat for the plane was [?] cold till the sun came up after we left Karthur, and it was cold enough at Rome Airport..."

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"Dear Ric, These [undisciplined? undisputed?] Ric barbers! I dined last night with John Constance, who has a most beautiful home and garden - but I thought him an odd fish and he is the only person I have met who speaks well of apartheid and does not see it as an economic [damper?]..."

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An artificial collection of materials consisting of correspondence, writings, and other personal papers of the British author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer Rebecca West.

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Written by Diana Stainforth, secretary to Rebecca West.

"Dear Ms. Shewell, Dame Rebecca is unfortunately not at all well at the moment and is therefore unable to comply with your request. She asks me to say how sorry she is, and she wishes you all success in your most worthwhile venture..."

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Written by Rebecca West's secretary, Diana Stainforth.

"Dear Sir John, Dame Rebecca has asked me to apologise for the delay in answering your kind letter of the 20th December, and also for not replying to you personally. She is, unfortunately, not very well and, furthermore, despite her ill health, has been terribly busy finishing a new book..."

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"Dear Ms Boston, Thank you for your letter regarding the 400th Jubilee issue of Adam which is to be devoted to the London Library. Unfortunately Dame Rebecca is not well at the moment and unable to answer personally..."

Scope and Contents "Dear Mrs Grindea, Forgive me for not writing to you at length, but my eyes and general health are not supporting my real desires. But I will make an effort to thank you and all the members of the distinguished Grindea family for enabling me to chalk up one reason why I may be regarded well after my death. Miron Grindea thought me worthy to contribute to his admirable review, Adam, and his family gave me sometimes the pleasure of their company - a delightful contact with the civilised...