Malcolm v. Oxford: Evidence page 70 (original) (raw)

Malcolm _vs._Oxford University, 1986 Chancery Division Ch M. 7710

Evidence (Red) File page 70, Letter from Andrew Malcolm to Henry Hardy, 22nd July 1985 (carbon copy)

TEXT:

Henry Hardy, Oxford University Press, Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6DP.

Dear Henry,

As you are no doubt aware by now, I have recently received from you colleague Richard Charkin what has to rate as the single most disappointing letter of my life, rejecting my proposal Making Names.

By rights I know that I should be extremely angry at this setback after all your interest and encouragement, not to mention your firm written commitments to the book's publication, especially as although I have not actually begun the final revision (I was just about to), I have made a number of arrangements, some financial, in the light of OUP's apparent acceptance. In fact however, my disappointment has so far been tempered more with resignation than with anger. I suppose that all along I have known, not so deep down, that it would be too much to hope that a philosophical work as evidently controversial as mine would ever be published by a press as respectable and as 'safe' as yours. All I can say is: thanks for your faith in the book and for your efforts on its behalf; I hope that they have not landed you in too much trouble yourself.

On reflection, I think that I may return to the work after all and try to improve some of its least satisfactory passages, if only for my own gratification; I have nothing much else to do at the moment. From the tone of Mr Charkin's letter, there is clearly no point in returning any revised version to OUP. It seems that it would not matter if I had written the most important philosophical text since Language, Truth and Logic (which if I may be forgiven the arrogance now that all is lost, I think perhaps I may have done), it will not even get considered. However, since you have taken a personal interest in the project, I hope that you may be interested to read any major revisions that I make, and perhaps even to help me to find an alternative publisher. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Yours, Andrew Malcolm

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Go to Malcolm's Statement of Claim, to the Case History, to the Affidavits: Ivon Asquith (1), Asquith (2), Henry Hardy, William Shaw (solicitor) (1), Sir Roger Elliott (1), Margaret Goodall, to the Witness Statements: Elliott, Hardy, Richard Charkin, Nicola Bion, Goodall, to the courtroom testimony of the Oxford Six, 14/3/1990: Elliott, Goodall, Bion, Asquith, Charkin, Hardy, to the testimony of Andrew Malcolm 13/3/1990, to the Chancery Court Judgment, the Appeal Court Judgment, the Damages assessment, the Settlement agreement.

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