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This sub-series contains McGrath’s collection of photocopies of James Joyce’s letters to unidentified recipients.

This sub-series contains McGrath’s collection of photocopies of James Joyce’s letters to his publisher Grant Richards.

The collection is based on a single theme, namely, the publishing background to James Joyce’s Dubliners. The book did, indeed, have a very strange history. Its journey began in 1904, when Joyce submitted a collection of short stories to the publisher, Grant Richards. It was not until February 1906 that Richards accepted them. Unfortunately, Richards had problems with his printer who refused to set up the print for the story Two Gallants, as he objected to certain passages therein. Richards and Joyce had many debates and arguments about the deletion and modification of this and other passages in the book. Finally in 1907, Richards backed away from publishing the work. In 1909, George Roberts of the Dublin firm Maunsel & Co. accepted Dubliners and signed a publication contract in August of that year. However, Roberts had second thoughts about its publication soon after and the entire first print run of the book was burned before it was launched. Dubliners was finally published in 1914 by the original publisher, Grant Richards, a full ten years after it was written. McGrath seems to have had a great interest in discovering what influenced two successive publishers to reject the manuscript. Other items in the collection include an original Seán O’Casey letter to McGrath in which he enclosed a large signed black and white photograph of himself (P8/4). There are also press cuttings which comprise of an obituary of Oliver St. John Gogarty (P8/20) and a review of a book about Joyce (P8/21).

This series contains Joyce-related press cuttings collected by McGrath.

Postcard from Marvin Magalaner, writer and Joyce biographer, Flushing, New York, in which he discusses possible reasons why George Roberts of Maunsel & Co. Ltd, publishers, ‘got cold feet’ when it came to publishing Joyce’s Dubliners. States that some people suspect Roberts’ wife ‘engineered the dumping’. Also notes that previously Grant Richards had refused to publish as he was ‘afraid to stick his neck out’ after the [Oscar] Wilde ‘fiasco’. Suggests to McGrath to try Richard Ellman, a biographer of Joyce.

Photocopy of a letter from James Joyce in Paris, France. Addressed to ‘Stephen’, in which he mentions his exhaustion due to his inability to sleep properly for the previous three months.

Photocopy of a letter from James Joyce to an unknown recipient requesting that she type his material for him. Request in form of three verses beginning ‘Dear, I am asking a favour’ in a parody of the poem Praise by Seumas O’Sullivan.

Photocopy of a letter from James Joyce, Via Giovanni Boccaccio, Trieste, Austria to Grant Richards, in which he agrees to modify certain words and passages in Counterparts and other stories in order that the story Two Gallants may be included. Suggests to Richards that he find another printer ‘who was dumb from his birth, or, if none such can be found, a person who will not “argue the point”’. Concludes by saying that he has sent Richards a copy of a Dublin paper which will illustrate that ‘the Irish are the most spiritual race on the face of the earth’ and hopes that this will reconcile him to Dubliners. States that he seriously believes that Richards ‘will retard the course of civilisation in Ireland by preventing the Irish people from having one good look at themselves in my nicely polished looking-glass’.

Photocopy of a letter from James Joyce, Via Donato Bramante, Trieste, Austria to Grant Richards, in which he outlines the publishing history of Dubliners. Mentions a letter which he had sent to the press in August 1911 concerning the book [copy included]. Suggests that in view of the strange publishing history of the book, and the fact that ‘Dublin is the centre of general interest’, the time is opportune for his ‘luckless book to appear’. States that he is willing to contribute to the expenses of publication if Richards is prepared to publish.

Photocopy of a letter from James Joyce, Via Giovanni Boccaccio, Trieste, Austria to Grant Richards, in which he outlines the various concessions he has made as to the alteration of some stories in Dubliners. States that he would rather omit five stories from the book than omit the story Two Gallants which is ‘the most important story in the book’. Also states that he regrets not being able to meet Richards in person and that if it were possible he ‘could much more easily defeat whatever influences you in holding your present position’. Concludes by noting that in composing his chapter of moral history, he has ‘taken the first step towards the moral liberation of my country.’