Maxim Gorky's publishing house Parus.

Gorky, Maxim, Russian writer (1868-1963). Autograph letter signed.

€ 8,500.00

To an author named Anna Nikolayevna, concerning the possible publication of the novel "Dawns" in Gorky's Parus publishing house. Expecting the rejection of the unfinished manuscript, Gorky advises her either to finish the novel or to turn its prologue into an independent short story: "I asked the editorial staff whether I can send them the manuscript of the prologue to the novel for review and they answered me that this would be useless if the piece is still not finished. I asked about it because, in its current form, they would have surely returned your manuscript, which I wanted to avoid. I have reread the prologue once again and I advise you the following: do not send 'Dawns' anywhere unless you finish the whole piece or turn the prologue into a separate short story" (transl.).

In a short postscript, Gorky refers Anna Nikolayevna to an editor: "At 'Parus' you have to write to Belousov (I hope that I got the surname right, but I think I did), his name is Ivan Nikolayevich".

Maxim Gorky founded Parus together with Alexander Tikhonov and I. P. Ladyzhnikov in 1915 in order to publish the monthly literary review "Letopis" (1915-17), the daily "Novaïa jizn" (1915-18), and books that opposed Russia's involvement in World War I and the war in general. "Letopis" was social-democratically oriented and thus in opposition to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Among its contributors were such important authors as Alexander Bogdanov, Ivan Bunin, Anatole France, Lev Kamenev, Alexandra Kollontai, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Romain Rolland, and H. G. Wells. Although the recipient has not yet been identified, the letter can be dated with respect to 'Parus', which only existed from 1915 to 1918.

Somewhat spotty. Full transcription of the Russian original available.