Agreements

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Scope and Content

A series of agreements made between Nicholson (from 1946 mostly through his agents, David Higham Associates) and various publishers for different works, detailing rights and terms such as royalty payments. Not all of Nicholson's books are represented here, but the agreements do cover some of his major titles. Included are a range of anthologies, poetry, verse drama, criticism and topography. There are also agreements relating to a broadcast and a recording. Titles given here are the provisional titles as given in the agreements themselves, which were sometimes modified for publication. They all relate to British publication unless stated otherwise. They are arranged chronologically, with the only undated item placed at the end of the sequence. The list below gives details of the party with whom the agreement was made, the work concerned and the date of the agreement:

/1 Penguin Books, for Tongues of Men (An Anthology for the Times) (17 Mar 1941).
/2 The Student Christian Movement Press Ltd, for Modern Literature from the Christian Point of View [ie. Man and Literature] (22 Sep 1942).
/3 Nicholson and Watson of 1 Craven House, Kingsway, London: assignation of copyright in The Holy Winter, of which Nicholson is proprietor (24 Mar 1943).
/4 Faber and Faber Ltd, for Poems [probably Five Rivers] (27 Oct 1943).
/5 Robert Hale Ltd, for Cumberland and Westmorland (14 Aug 1944).
/6 Faber and Faber Ltd, for The Old Man of the Mountains (25 Jun 1945).
/7 Home and Van Thal Ltd, for H.G. Wells (3 Jun 1946).
/8 Lindsay Drummond Ltd, for Cowper (21 Jun 1946).
/9 Phoenix House Ltd, for Poets on the Poets: Wordsworth by Norman Nicholson; with covering letter (21-24 Feb 1947).
/10 Faber and Faber Ltd, for Rockface (14 Nov 1947).
/11 translator, Albert Evans-Jones of Penmaen, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, for a Welsh translation and adaptation of The Old Man of the Mountains (18 Feb 1948).
/12 Another copy of /11.
/13 The Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain, for the commissioning of a play by Nicholson [Prophesy to the Wind] (18 Mar 1948).
/14 Grey Walls Press Ltd, for The Selected Poems of William Cowper (22 Jun 1948).
/15 Faber and Faber Ltd, for Prophecy to the Wind (27 Oct 1949).
/16 The Swallow Press of Denver, Colorado, USA, for the publication of H.G. Wells in the USA, its possessions and the Philippine Islands (9 Jun 1950).
/17 John Lehmann Ltd, for Cowper (29 Aug 1950).
/18 Faber and Faber Ltd, for The Pot Geranium and Other Poems (16 Jul 1953).
/19 Robert Hale Ltd, for The Lakers (31 Jul 1953).
/20 Robert Hale Ltd, for Provincial Pleasures (16 Jul 1954).
/21 Faber and Faber Ltd, for A Match for the Devil (28 Oct 1954).
/22 Letter from David Higham Associates to L. Brander of the British Council, confirming Nicholson's agreement to write a 9,000-word essay on William Cowper for the 'Writers and Their Work' series (25 Nov 1958).
/23 Official authorisation by Nicholson for the performance of a 30-minute feature written by him entitled 'Harvest' for the BBC radio programme Way of Life, provisionally scheduled for the North of England Home Service on 27 September 1959 (19 Jun 1959).
/24 Faber and Faber Ltd, for Birth by Drowning (10 Sep 1959).
/25 Robert Hale Ltd, for Portrait of the Lakes (12 May 1961).
/26 Letter from Faber and Faber Ltd relating to a change in their standard agreements over royalty statements (Oct 1961).
/27 Robert Hale Ltd, for an unspecified "book on the Lakes" (14 May 1965).
/28 Faber and Faber Ltd, for Selected Poems (29 Sep 1965).
/29 J. & W. Chester Ltd, for publication rights, royalties and other fees for "Two Christmas Carols in Traditional Style. 1: The first night. 2: The carnival sky. Music by Thea Musgrave - poems by Norman Nicholson" (6 May 1966).
/30 A copy of /29 (9 Jun 1966)
/31 Faber and Faber Ltd, for A Local Habitation (7 Oct 1971).
/32 Robert Hale Ltd, for The Lakers (1 Mar 1972).
/33 Faber and Faber Ltd, for Autobiography [ie. Wednesday Early Closing] (4 Aug 1972).
/34 Letter of engagement from Argo Record Co., a division of the Decca Record Co. Ltd, for British Poets of Our Time, with printed sheet of conditions (1 Aug 1973).
/35 Faber and Faber Ltd, for A Choice of Cowper's Verse (18 Jan 1974).
/36 Exhibition agreement between Nicholson and Carlisle City Council, to supply work for a book to be published by Carlisle Museum and Art Gallery. (28 Dec 1981).
/37 Nicholson and Watson, for The Thorn in the Flesh (n.d.).

Most of these agreements have been signed by the publisher or a representative of the publishing house, and a number of them also include Nicholson's signature.

Arrangement

Nicholson originally bundled these agreements together in three separate groupings, although there was no obvious distinction between them. Bundle 1 contained /1-3, /5-6, /9-12, /7, /22, /24, /29, /31-3 and /37; bundle 2 contained /4, /7-8, /13, /15-16, /18, /20-21 and /23; and bundle 3 contained /19, /25-28, /30, /34-36. /14 was loose. Other correspondence from David Higham Associates can be found at: NCN1/1/70, NCN1/2/1, NCN1/2/8, NCN1/2/12, NCN1/2/14/9 and /25, NCN6/4, NCN6/6, and NCN6/8.