LITERARY NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 88, 13 April 1935, Page 28

LITERARY NOTES

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Mr. John Buchan has completed his jubilee survey of his Majesty's reign, entitled "The King's Grace." It will be published early this month by Hodder and Stoughton. Mr. Eric Linklater, author of- "Juan in America," has a new novel in Messrs. Cape's spring list. It is called '•'Ripeness is AH," and is described; by the author as."a simple domestic comedyv-:- ■- ■■'r"_^_ : ■' : ;' ■■■}" : Mr. David Low has presented eight of his drawings for cartoons to the British Museum. Mr. Low* who has acquired fame; was born in Duhediii in 1891. The list of best-selling translations in Hungary furnishes curious contrasts, says the. Budapest correspondent of the "Observer." Edgar Wallace, who keeps the place of leading seller, is followed by Goethe, Virgil, the Bible, and Homer. Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, author of "I:Worked for the Soviet," is a daughter of Leo Tolstoy. She was in command of a hospital unit on_ the Eastern Front when the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917. "Samuel Butler: A Chronicle and an Introduction," by Dr. R. F. Rattray, will be published by Duckworth in ample time for the centenary, of Butler's birth, which falls in December. Dr. Rattray, whose short book is both a biographical study and an essay on the writings, has been able to include a> considerable amount of new material relating to Butler> life. ' The year 1935 marks the fourth centenary of the appearance in print of the first complete Bible in English. This was Coverdale's translation of 1535, sometimes known as The Treacle Bible on account of the rendering "Is there no treacle in Gilead." The Bug Bible is another name for it, from the translation in the Psalms, "Thou shalt not nede to be afrayed for eny bugges by night," though it is at the "treacle" rendering' a; copy lies open; in the church of Minster in Kent. There were 1156 books published in Great Britain in January, 1935. In the same month last year there were 966, books published. At the end of the first month, therefore, this year sees an increase over last year's figures by nearly 200 books.. This is the first yearin which the January output has exceeded 1000. books. According to the president of the American' National Association of Book Publishers, the sales of books in the United States in 1934 were from 10 to 20 per cent, better than in 1933. . Edison (says the "Bookseller") made many experiments to substitute nickel for paper. He held that paper is too expensive for printing. Moreover, it cannot be disinfected, and as it is perishable, immortal works may be lost. Nickel books would be very cheap and conveniently thin.; A thousand-page book would be less than one-fortieth of-an inch thick. And they could be disinfected. But the very thinness of nickel leaves makes them awkward to turn over; and they are apt to cut the reader's hands. Scientists are accordingly trying to find an alloy that would revolutionise the book world. "Mr.. Bernard Shaw's new play is called "The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles." It will have its first English performance at Malvern Festival on July 29. It is set in the future, and was begun during the author's visit to New, Zealand last year, and completed some months ago. Malvern Festival was founded by Sir Barry Jackson in 1928 as a tribute to the genius of Shaw. Although Malvern will see the first English production of Mr, Shaw's new play, there is a prospect that it may be produced before July in Central Europe. Siegfried Trebitsch, Mr. Shaw's German translator, was in London at the end of last year, preparing his adaptation, which will be presented as soon as it is ready. •