National Library Week
SIR,—Mr. K. C. Harrison's candour and courtesy (Spectator, June 18) are most disarming. Am I being a curmudgeon if I point out that, when you are promoting a great campaign to encourage people to read books, it is an odd piece of forgetfulness to omit all those who write books? If Mr, Harrison and his committee had been wanting to encourage people to eat more currant buns, would they have forgotten the millers and the bakers? Or the farmers who grow the corn?
And really I don't think I can sing a joyous so be it to his crack at 'the obvious conflicting interests' of authors, booksellers, librarians and pub- lishers. I cannot live without any of the others; but neither, with the utmost respect to Mr. Harrison, can any of them live without me and my kind. I could, after all, hawk my manuscripts from door to door, but they would have no reason for existing at all if I—and a great many authors, living and deaddidn't write the bboks they promote, sell and put on their shelves. Exercising patronage is, I am sure, wonderfully satisfying; but it must not be allowed to become patronising. On February 17, 1755, Samuel Johnson wrote a letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of Chesterfield which is, I think, relevant. I hope that the organisers of National Library Week will take time off from their frolics
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