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All graphics ©: Val Biro and used with his permission

 

PENGUIN NEW WRITING

EDITED BY JOHN LEHMANN

"As Val explained in his autobiographical comments,John Lehmann was at the forefront of encouraging new writers and featuring writers from abroad. often for the first time, in 'Penguin New Writing' published by the Penguin Book company.

'Penguin New Writing was a literary digest published between 1940 and 1950. There were, in all, 50 separate issues and each was a substantial book in its own right. For example 'ISSUE 36'. that I have featured above, contains 158 pages covering 12 short stories or articles plus 6 critical reviews. Dated 1949, this edition would have been edited by Lehmann during the period that Val worked for him.

CONTENTS OF ISSUE 36

* First publication in Britain. # Specially written for this issue.

'On Stony Ground' - William Sansom *
'The Summer Bird' - Peter Yates*
'Shower of Gold' - Eudora Welty*
'Two Summer Idyls' - George Barker*
'A Single Lady' - Mary Lavin*
'The River of Life'- Donald Horner*
'The Chest' - Michael Nelson*
'Two Poems' - J.C.Hall*
'A Lot You Got to Holler' - Nelson Algren*
'February Evening' - Jocelyn Brooke*
'The Explorers' - Harry Brown*
'De Quincey in Westmorland' - John Short

THE CRITICAL VIEW
'The Future of Fiction' - Walter Allen
'Edward Thomas' - John Lehmann#
'Mr. Thomson and his Wicked Brother' - J. M. Cohen*
'Style in Shakespeare Production' - Peter Brook
'A Moroccan Diary' Fred Uhlman*

" As you will see from the above contents and from the samples below 'Penguin New Writing'was definitely an important literary periodical of its time."

SOME CONTRIBUTERS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS

September 1942 Issue 14
W. H. Auden, " Palais Des Beaux Arts" and "In Memoriam Ernst Toller"
C.Day Lewis, "The Hunter's Game", First publication and specially written for this issue.
Stephen Spender, "The Novel and Narrative Poetry" First publication and specially written for this issue.

December 1942 Issue 15
Pieces by a variety of authors including, George Barker, Sid Chaplin, Joseph Gurnard, (specially written for this issue), Brinsley Nacnamarra (first publication),EWart Milne, Stephen Spender, Terence Tiller, Jack Marlow and many more.

1944 Issue 20
Stephen Spender, 'The Sensuous World of Keats' First publication.
It also included pieces by George Barker, Noel Blakison, Demetrios Capetanakis, John Lehmann,Edith Sitwell James Stern and others.

1947 Issue 30
Graham Greene "Across the Border", First publication.
Gillian Hughes 'Calm Sea', First publication.
Giles Romily, 'Two Poems', First publication.
Boris Pasternak, 'The Thrushes', First publication.
R.C.M.Howard, 'The Voyage Back', First publication.

 


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