CONTEMPORARY ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURE - Eric Ambler (London, 1909 - 1998) - 13 autograph letters

Eric Ambler (London, 1909 - 1998)13 autograph letters signed; 4 type letters signed, 1 memorandum of agreement with autograph signature; 1 typed interview with autograph notes signed; 1 photograph with autograph dedication signed.Ambler was an English author, the son of a family of entertainers and puppet show artists, started his career as an engineer before moving into film as a screenwriter. He became known for his thrillers and spy stories such as The Mask of Dimitrios (1939) and The Light of Day (1962), both adapted into films.Thirteen autograph letters signed May 14th 1938. To Eileen Cond, a well-known socialite and autograph collector. Ambler replies with a kind letter: "…Of course I shall be delighted to write in your copy of Epitaph for a Spy…". The novel Epitaph for a Spy (1938) will eventually be turned into a movie in 1944 as Hotel Reserve. 1 p.August 18th [1939]. To Miss Cond. Ambler assures the lady that he will sign her copy of The Mask of Dimitrios. 1 p.10 April 51. To Miss Cond: "…It is indeed unfortunate that book production is so slow here now. I hope that you will enjoy ‘Deltchev’ when it arrives…". Ambler is referring to his upcoming novel Judgement on Deltchev (1951). 1 p.1 July 51. To Mr. Dawson. After being politically let down by the USSR, Ambler states his point of view on the Society for Cultural Relations between the British Commonwealth and the USSR and the Soviet governments: "…One joins such organisations as S.C.R. with hopes. My dissatisfaction with the Soviet government’s revealed attitude to everything (not only literature) has led to my resigning from the S.C.R. If I am still listed by them as belonging it must be because they are using up old stationery…". The SCR was founded in London in 1924. Supported by writers such as E. M. Forster and H. G. Wells, its purpose was to connect the Soviet culture with British Commonwealth artists and intellectuals. 1 p.9 July 54. To Miss. Cond, assuring her that he will sign the book she will send him. 1 p.Dec 5 64. To Miss. Cond: "…My mother tells me that in England now gardeners who will work regularly are a vanishing breed…". 1 p. ½.April 9 1968. To Rolando Pieraccini, informing him that his previous letter was never received and now sending the present letter as an "autograph". 2 pp. Envelope included.May 3 68. To Miss Cond. Mentioning the newly founded Boston University Special Collections department directed by Howard Bernard Gotlieb (1926-2005): "…As you suspected, Dr. Gotlieb will return to the attack in due course. I mentioned your collection to him because the library he directs is specifically entrusted in contemporary writers. I know of no comparable institutions here...". 2 pp.6 April 74. To Jon Allan: "…I can only plead by way of excuse the fact that I have been trying to finish a novel which got longer and longer. The 350 pages of typescript I had envisaged became 450 and finally 540. Still its done now and will go off to Atheneum in New York next week. I expect they will publish in the late fall…". The author is referring to his renowned novel Doctor Frigo (1974). 1 p., on the author’s letterhead. Envelope included.February 10, 77. To Eleanor Sullivan, editor in chief for Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine from 1982: "I’ll be glad to be listed as a sponsor of the 78 Congress in New York...". 1 p.27 March 84. To Miss Cond, about his upcoming autobiography Here Lies Eric Ambler (1985): "At Weidenfeld’s request I am doing an autobiography. It should be enjoyable, I suppose, but somehow isn’t. I am better suited perhaps to ordinary fiction". 1 p.23 II 85. To Peter Michielesen, about an interview: "Before you think further of interviewing me, it might be as well if you read my autobiography HERE LIES which will be published by WIdenfeld in London in this late spring". 1 p. Envelope included.16 January 88. To Julian Symons. Ambler confesses to his friend that he will not take part in the 78th New York Congress if he won’t be present: "…If anything could have made me change mind about the NY Congress it would have been the prospect of you and Kathleen as companions on the expedition and the possibility of a spirited debate (...) My name is on that list only for show – ‘you don’t have to come’ (...) And Jon asks sharply, aren’t I supposed to be working hard to finish a book? Well, Yes, I am...". 1p.Four typed letters signed 9th October, 1953. To William Seward Jr., professor of the Department of English at The College of William and Mary in Virginia: "I regret to say that I do not have a spare copy of the American edition of SCHIRMER here. If you care to send one, I shall be delighted to autograph it…". 1 p.November 2, 1965. To Renée Hellman. As Miss Hellman is writing a book called Celebrity Cooking: Dishes Chosen by the Famous (1967), she asks Ambler for a contribution, but has trouble obtaining one: "I would, of course, be very glad to donate a recipe for your book, and for such an excellent fund. The difficulty is that I don’t have one; I can’t cook. I know what I prefer to eat, naturally, but that scarcely seems the same thing". 1 p.January 7, 1966. To Renée Hellman. A few months later, Ambler seems more decided and eventually is able to provide a recipe to Miss. Hellman: "I find that my thoughts turn more often to a dish that might be considered plebeian by some. I refer to Steak and Kidney Pudding. Not the pie, the pudding; and with a satisfactory quantity of kidney in it. I suspect that it is not easy to make well. When it is, though, I find it delightful". 1 p.25 November 1981. To Harry [Henry R. F. Keating, British crime fiction writer], writing for a contribution he made in his upcoming book Whodunit? A Guide To Crime, Suspense And Spy Fiction (1982): "Here is the piece for your consumer’s guide to crime and suspense". 1 p.Memorandum of agreement with autograph signature dated 19th July 1985 for the publication of signed limited edition copies of short stories.Typed interview with autograph notes signed and dated London 1986.Photograph with autograph dedication signed dated 3 July 78. (9.5 x 14.5 cm).