‘I have an awful feeling I was not very discreet about both homosexuality and publishers - Letters from a Scottish novelist

Two typed manuscript letters signed in blue ink by Scottish writer Fred Urquhart, written to Glasgow Herald reporter, biographer and writer Iain Finlayson regarding their interview in July 1980 and subsequent newspaper feature focusing on Urquhart’s contributions to 20th century Scottish fiction.

Letter 1: Dated 25th June 1980. Urquhart arranges a suitable interview date and complains about the late publication of his new short story collection while expressing his horror at the number of printer’s errors. ‘they have printed “pinkie finger” instead of “pinkie”... I expect some bone headed Englishman doesn’t know what a “pinkie” is. I’m hopping with fury’.

Letter 2: Dated 4th July 1980. Written post interview. ‘I have an awful feeling I was not very discreet about both homosexuality and publishers yesterday’. Urquhart elaborates on his opinions regarding other authors. ‘I greatly admire American writing, especially that of William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Gore Vidal and John Cheever. In this country - should have said that my admiration for the work of Naomi Mitchison and Norah Hoult goes back a long way’. A 4 line paragraph adds a brief synopsis of Urquhart’s life with and the career of his partner Peter Wyndham Allen’.

Both letters are in very good, unmarked condition, typed to one side only.