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P.O. Box 69, iffiABANE.

S-raziland.10th Jan., 1964.

The Editor, "The Classic", P.O. 6434, Johannesburg.

Dear Sir,The Editor of a Finnish magazine has asked me for permission

to use a translation of the short story, "The Suit" by me vhich appeared in the first issue of your renowned quarterly.

I am disposed to grant this permission and would be delighted if you, too, could find your way clear to grant the permission of your publication in writing.

Looking forward to your earliest reply,I am. Sir,

Yours respectfully.

Can Themba

P.S. The Finnish magazine in question is called; "Mona Lisa".

CT

27th ^epteiaber) 1963.

Mr. Can Themba) P.O.Box 69, Mbabeme, SWAZILAND.

Dear Can,Thank you very much for "The Refugees," but I am afraid I will not

be able to use it.I will write to you soon sayixig why I am not using this story which

you will find enclosed herewith.

Yours,

t ,

23rd August, 1963.

Ur. Can Theraba,Swaziland frade School,P.O. Box 69,MBABANE.Swaziland.

Dear Can,Following messages and letters from you and your in-laws I have

delivered your money to your sister in—law in Dube less the £5 which you borrowed from me and others. I realise that there has been a tremendous delay in getting this done, but 1 can only repeat what I have already told you — that our accountant is not paid for his very expensive professional services. As a result we never want to pressure him about our work which he does on the understanding that it must not interfere with his business too much, nevertheless, in future we will move much faster in seeing to it that our contributors are paid.

I notice that you have sent "Hie Genuine Article" in its original form. You will recall that we discussed this story and you and I agreed upon a number of changes. 1 did make it clear to you that although yours is a great story its succes does depend on its subtlety. Ve agreed that you should cut down on the sort of political soap-box utterances at the Fimville meeting. I even suggested that Absolom Mazibuko's son could be portrayed as a grown up city-sleek Sophiatowner whose pre—occupation with clothes is as vivid as his lack of interest in politics.

Unfortunately, if he is presented as a little boy his character becomes pathetic and over stated.

It is possible, of course, that you sent me the original version by mistake. In that case, I should be very glad to see the new version

Mr. Can Themba, 23/8/63.

as soon as possible.At the moment I am against publishing your story as it is nov

howerer pushed for material I may be.Finally, I trould like to know what progress you have made in

placing the feu copies of **The Classic** uhich I gave you. It may very veil be that you have sold them in uhich case ue uould like to have the money as soon as possible.

Your other story has aroused great interest in mai^ parts of the world. It appears you are doomed to earn much more money from the story than you may have reckoned.

Thank you very much for JeniQr Joseph's poem which I am publishing in the next issue of **The Classic". Please find *'The Genuine Article" which I CUB returning herewith.

Tours truly.

ENCLi "The Genuine Article".

// STTC,Box 69, Mbabiuie.

Monday.

I®'.if;'cWi. ‘i- ■Am«■• hi.i.V V.V.

Dear Nat,There's you bloody "The Genuine Article". I wish you were as

importunate with± the pay as your are at howling for copy, damn you.You cain't run a paper by not paying your contributors.

I also enclose the poem by Jenny Joseph. Remember, I told you about it. See what you think of it.

The two stories by your breathless writer Pat Cinzano---1 supposeyou wanted me to comment on them. Well, here's my comment: "Puerile".

I don't see why I should write you any chattier a letter when you have a positive horror of writing letters yourself.

Yours ever.

STvaziland Training Trade Centre, P.O. Box 69,Mbabane,

Swazi 1 and,15tb Time, 1963.

Bear Nat,Herewith the "(Ten”ine Vrticle", T kno’“ tbe tit^e i =i t-’ ie, but I

prefer it t i’" +Bit. ’ar-be yon' 11 see why.

T consider that you should be careful about both this ancl thesi*Shake,sneare thing. It'mi'^ht T»e c oo'l idea to d then to a en/yerfor whatever. But it'f? reaTl*'’- not rrr station to tell rry , what end ■’■'■'’•at not.

Presu*"ably, T'n “Toin" to be paid for tbe contributions in the T'ii’st issue. Tf so, ’•.'•hen'!’ If not, why the bloody hell not'’ Ih.’t it would be kind of you to tell me what pa” , .subtr ’ct what I oare ”on, and ru.sh the difference to me. rind of yon to yonr.solf, sec^

Polks o.round here a,re persecuting for the "CTa.ssic"o I'm not oVOr—onthusi astic to become '• »*r>.irc;->,>oTior ven'^o", b”t t ^ » nos'’ ■s-or' know wbnt to doc Por ed t t ,‘mmect it mis'ht be ad 1 c’lriosity a^alne. ’’”t T thinki "fc * H Trr«n n q o r )p O ^ ^

't'lO i.pV H'f* "1+. - i*r|v»T -p r> "t' 9 H +,0-p 4-<e»wrr y* "P r» T + I Ip ''irn i c« Tr<p T p p s i 1 H T*P r t C ll * 1 . ^ T1 P C 07"* 1

have a jamboree on the next is.sue, and that's not snot.

Bo write and tell a guy what kind of ins-n-i ra.tions you'd like him to sprout. ,\nd be so mood as to tell \lf Puraalo to write to me by the dr’ ing spit.

■''"ours even,

P.S. If you're sure you can't use "The Br>n\iin " I'd appeciate it if you'd shoot it back, becau.se as t i-ro said I think it's really a-n ’Economic ’ arket thing. A CT

January 13, 1964.

Can Themlia Esq, , P.O . Box 69, Mbabane, Swaziland.

De^r Can,

I 'm th r ille d to hear the I d i io r o£ "-^ona -^iaa" r/rntc to use a trr n eln tio n of y >ur s to r y , ""^he S u it " a.lthou..li I h ve V ■ idea v;hat kind of pep! r th is i r . My only ip te ro o t at the m ment is to see that very good sto ry read xxxatxx by as many pe pie as p s s ib le , Consr- tu lrtiono^

Ey a l l merns le t him p.iblich the s to r y , V,e s h a ll be p leased , of course, i f the E ditor of Mona l i s a " does publish a note pointing out that the sto ry v; f i r . - t p. b lish ed in "The C la s s ic " .

By the v/ay, pardon our b lu sh e s, but we are being fo llo '/e d , /th o ld Pugard t o l ls me xh a producer on Broadway, New 'S'.i-k, saw the excerpt fTorri h is play in "The C la s s ic " tmd wrote to X him (A th ol) asking fo r the r e s t of the p la y . We are n a tu ra lly very hapny ab -nt th i ', and hope A th o l's p loy lands H in Broadway soon.I vn itten to A t'iol a: king fo r perm ission t make th is develop- me-^t Imo’-m to the p ress . Which reminds me: Would you pier ne give me pewmiosion to ■'■ive the sto-gy to the presr: abotit "Mona L isa " and i t e d it o r 's plcm'^'? I can vreit u n t i l 'he deal i s clinched i f you I'd^e?

Grod b le s y u .

g-wazilahti Trade Training Centre,P.O. Box 69,

^{babane,S-waziland.

28. 3. 63.

Dear Nat,T don't knoTV what hannened to yon, but I did expect that you'd write

me and tell me how the journal is progressing. Particularly as you promised to send me a "dummy" so that I can try to sell some ads for it.

Also, I thought you woiild start wondering about txhe next issue and -»robably what you'd like me to do from this end. I don't think it's safe to leave things like thi»s to the last minute. Nat, I'm not trying to teach ray grandmother to suck eggs, but I did think we should plan a Itttle ahead. Of course, things are mhving so bloody fast that I'm sure you don't to anticipate trends too much. It is not a news magazine, but I wondered if you wouldn't like to be in on the new trends and tones.

Tell me, did you manage to see that "Elethu" photographer about my camera.He hasn't tried to contact me at all, you know, and I thought you might have forgotten

Tell me another thing; what the hell has happened to "Dr'.im"' I haven't % been able to get a copy here. I see that the March issue has been removed from the bookstalls and the \pril issue has not appeared. Is this a demise‘s* 'iVhat's happening?

Actually, I'm more interested in knowing whether any cheque is coming my av for the PEN short story. Can you make discreet investigations'^

If all goes well, I'd like to visit JHB during Easter. Do yoii think you could put up me and some half? A.nyway, keep contact so that a man knows he can still breathe.

Lotsa luv,yours,

L____

Collection Number: A2696

Collection Name: Nat Nakasa Papers, 1962-2014

PUBLISHER: Publisher: Historical Papers Research Archive, University of the Witwatersrand Location: Johannesburg ©2017

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