The selected correspondence of Joan Aiken and Charles Schlessiger: 1963-1964

Abstract

This selection of letters annotates the correspondence of author Joan Aiken with her literary agent, Charles Schlessiger of Brandt & Brandt (now Brandt & Hochman) from 1963-64. The letters begin with her introduction to Schlessiger through her father, poet and novelist Conrad Aiken, who worked with the same agency. The correspondence reveals a fast-paced lifestyle as Aiken raised two children in a single-parent household and produced at least two titles a year from 1963 until the end of her career. Between 1962 and 1964 Aiken published some of her most important work, including the first two installments in the Wolves of Willoughby Chase series, while working on a number of other pieces for adults. The letters reveal the day-to-day business required to maintain a trans-Atlantic literary career.