Identity area
Reference code
ALL/11/209
Title
Letter from William Blackwood to Herbert Allingham
Date(s)
- 18-Apr-22 (Creation)
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Extent and medium
2 pieces, Typescript document
Context area
Name of creator
(1867-1936)
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Headed notepaper: The Fleetway House, Farringdon Street EC4. Signed and titled Director.
'I was very much astonished and annoyed to note the remarks in your most unfair and insulting letter of this morning. It is scarcely derserving of an acknowledgement, but in view of your long association with this House I have decided to reply to it.
You say 'I see you have given my plot to Mr John Goodwin for your new serial'. This is an entirely erroneous statement. As a matter of fact I have not the slightest recollection of what your plot was and I certainly never discussed it with any author. For another thing Mr John Goodwin wrote the first forty thousand words of this new story of his more than a year ago and I had many of the instalments in my desk here long before you came to the office and discussed a prospective serial with us.
I am sure you will only to have read a few of the very brilliant instalments of Mr Goodwin's seral to realise that you are making a very unfair and quite unfounded charge.
In all my journalistic career I have never played a trcik such as you suggest on any author submitting ideas to me for serials; in addition Mr Goodwin is not the type of man to accept other writers' plots and 'write them up'. He is far too able and independent of that sort of thing.
After you have read the opening instalments of this serial I feel certain you will write and acknowledge that there is no possible connection between your synopsis and Mr Goodwin's new story. You will, I trust, be the more ready to do this if you accept that Mr Goodwin began his story months before I ever had the pleasure of meeting you.'
'I was very much astonished and annoyed to note the remarks in your most unfair and insulting letter of this morning. It is scarcely derserving of an acknowledgement, but in view of your long association with this House I have decided to reply to it.
You say 'I see you have given my plot to Mr John Goodwin for your new serial'. This is an entirely erroneous statement. As a matter of fact I have not the slightest recollection of what your plot was and I certainly never discussed it with any author. For another thing Mr John Goodwin wrote the first forty thousand words of this new story of his more than a year ago and I had many of the instalments in my desk here long before you came to the office and discussed a prospective serial with us.
I am sure you will only to have read a few of the very brilliant instalments of Mr Goodwin's seral to realise that you are making a very unfair and quite unfounded charge.
In all my journalistic career I have never played a trcik such as you suggest on any author submitting ideas to me for serials; in addition Mr Goodwin is not the type of man to accept other writers' plots and 'write them up'. He is far too able and independent of that sort of thing.
After you have read the opening instalments of this serial I feel certain you will write and acknowledge that there is no possible connection between your synopsis and Mr Goodwin's new story. You will, I trust, be the more ready to do this if you accept that Mr Goodwin began his story months before I ever had the pleasure of meeting you.'
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Status: Open