CUNARD, Nancy (ed.).

£17,500 · Offered by Peter Harrington

Negro Anthology. First edition, first issue binding, with an autograph letter signed by Cunard to Karl Marx's niece Erica, here tipped to the front free endpaper and dated 4 April 1957. This letter introduced Marx to the writer Eric Walrond and directly led to their collaboration on a Black poetry reading in London, following which Walrond attempted to publish his own companion anthology.Cunard's letter replies to Erica Marx (1909-1969), "How good, how interesting is your idea of a Negro Programme - with music. I wish I could help. I am entirely out of touch. I think Eric Walrond... might be the very person for you". The Harlem Renaissance writer Walrond (1898-1966) proved receptive to Marx's novel idea and "explained that although there had been comparable efforts on the radio, it was high time for what Marx proposed [in person]" (Davis, p. 334). Walrond and Marx's "Black and Unknown Bards" event included performances of works by historical Black figures who Walrond researched at the British Museum, and it took place at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square on 5 October 1958. Afterwards, Walrond met with the editor-in-chief of Penguin Books to discuss his manuscript for a companion anthology to the event, though it was never published. Erica Marx herself gave voice to budding writers through her Hand and Flower Press, and she was also one of the first directors of the Poetry Book Society.Negro Anthology "is a staggering accomplishment - in purpose, breadth of information,

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