Dear Colleagues
some of you will know that in the volume of ms presented to
Imperial Sevice College by Kiplng's widow, there is a draft of an
unpublished Stalky story titled Scylla and Charybdis. Examinng this
ms recently it was discovered that not only are there three pages of
what can be taken as an incomplete second draft but a full ten pages
of a complete first draft. The story has a strong golfing theme, the
title referring to two bunkers on the dunes course.
The Kipling Society is therefore orgaising a half-day symposium on
the afternoon of 7 April 2004, next year, to provide the first
puiblic reading and critical assessment of this story. This will be
held in the St Andrews Hall of our usual locale, the Royal Over-Seas
League, St James's, London. The scope of the meeting will cover wider
aspects of the Stalky stories: their representation of public school
life, the impact they had on his readers when first published (in
magazine form) and their assessment today. Provisional speakers
include myself as editor of the Scylla and Charybdis story, Mrs Lisa
Lewis who read the more puzzling parts opf the manuscript, Andrew
Hambling the archivist of Haileybury and Imperial Service Collge to
trace the history of the ms and Isabel Quigly to speak about the
wider issues of pulic schools. We also expect comments from John
Radcliffe who with Lisa Lewis is preparing fresh Reader's Guide notes
for the Stalky stories.
There will be a limited opportunity to add to this list of speakers
and if you wish to submit a paper for the symposium I would welcome
hearing from you (see address, etc., below). Equally if you would
like to attend this occasion, please contact me to express and
interest. There will be a charge to cover exceptional costs.
Non-members of the Society can attend at a fee that reflects this
apsect of temporary memebership. The package will include a special
issue of the Kipling Journal carrying the full text and editorial
comment, with illustrations new and from the past.
This is a significant opportunity we believe in Kipling studies. We
are unlikely to find the ms of Mother Maturin and this story is
probably the last major Kipling item to be published. It should be a
splendid occasion and I look forward to your support, both by
contacting me over your interest in attending and, please, by
spreading the news of the meeting to all those with an interest in
our author.
Jeffery
Dr J Lewins, Meetings Secretary, Kipling Society
Suggested response
Yes, please give me further details of the Stalky Symposium 7 April 2004
name address tel number email address
[I offer a paper on the following aspects of Stalky
entitled....................................]
--
Jeffery Lewins
133 Thornton Road
Girton CB3 0NE
(01223) 276285
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