Ceylan

Jinadasa Vijayatunga English-language author from Ceylon Sri Lanka. Typed Letter Signed to Philip Dosse of ‘Books and Bookmen’ regarding a review with reference to ‘Krishna Menon’s nervous breakdown’ ‘plagiarism’ by Mulk Raj Anand Amita Malik

24859 — 20 May 1974; Flat 8 King Edward Mansions Grape Street London WC2. The recipient Philip Dosse was proprietor of Hansom Books publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players. See ‘Death of a Bookman’ by the novelist Sally Emerson editor of ‘Books and Bookmen’ at the time of Dosse’s suicide in Standpoint magazine October 2018. The present item is 1p 4to. In good condition lightly aged and creased. Folded for postage. Signed 'J. Vijaya T'. In writing a review for Dosse he has ‘exceeded the 600 words’ and rather than ‘cut it down’ he ‘thought it better that you and the Editor see all that I had to say and decide what to retain and what to delete. / I only hope that Krishna Menon’s nervous breakdown and my clap are retained.’ With regard to the ‘plagiarism’ of Mulk Raj Anand he is enclosing cuttings from Evergreen Review not present. In future he will ‘keep to the strict limit but having known Amita Malik Mulk Raj A and others I could not restrain myself. All this is hackneyed work on their part used time without number.’ He ends by thanking him for ‘sending me this interesting though provocative book’. 20 May 1974; Flat 8 King Edward Mansions, Grape Street, London WC2. unknown