DL/A-Z//BARIN - [Correspondence with Diana Baring of Curtis Brown & John Farquharson]

DL/A-Z//BARIN

File

[Correspondence with Diana Baring of Curtis Brown & John Farquharson]

23/04/1991-29/04/1991

4 Letters (typescript and MS)

Curtis Brown
Jonathan Clowes
Andrew Nurnberg Associates

Gottlieb, Robert

Baring, Diana

001 is a letter from Diana Baring to Doris Lessing: "I so much liked meeting you yesterday [at lunch with Robert Gottlieb] and would be really thrilled if we could work together." Baring suggests having a more detailed conversation about Lessing being represented by Curtis Brown instead of Jonathan Clowes. Mentions Jonathan Clowes's "set-up" in California and film rights. Discusses Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

002 is a letter from Doris Lessing to Gottlieb: "Robert! What is going on!" She expresses shock at Baring having taken seriously her comment – made in jest – that Jonathan Clowes might be tired of being an agent. She explains that moving to Curtis Brown would be impractical, due to the Jonathan Clowes's ownership of her film and TV rights, and Andrew Nurnberg's ownership of her foreign rights. She insists Gottlieb write a letter to Baring disabusing her of her plan: "I shall write to her myself today, but you must do it too."

003 is a letter from Lessing to Baring: "I really do feel this is a quite unreal situation. I did say that I wasn't thinking of leaving Jonathan now. I said I thought it was probable that one of these days he would be tired of being an agent."

004 is a handwritten letter from Baring to Lessing, apologising and retracting her overtures. "The last thing I want to do is to push you into any sort of premature or unethical decision abr yr. professional life."