Stephens, A.G

Component identifier:

Item 64

Content Summary:

The Bookfellow The Bulletin Newspaper Co. Ltd. Sydney. 1899

Nos. 1 - 5. All issued. In half-morocco by Riviere, over the original wrappers preserved.

These small "magazinelets" as A.G.S. described them, vary in size, and in number of pages. They were issued in illustrated wrappers. The first two numbers sold at one penny, or six copies post free for sixpence. The three final numbers sold at threepence. The third number bore the announcement: "Sold for Love and Threepence".

Inserted: Receipt in the autograph of A.G,S. "Received from The Bulletin Newspaper Company Limited, the sum of One guinea in full payment for property and copyright in literary composition entitled 'Newer French Poetry - Rolling the Stone from the Sepulchre'." This has been signed: "Chris: Brennan, with thanks". This essay appeared in the third number of The Bookfellow. A.G.S. has added a memo: "Bonus - I Ogilvie, Bon Prime - I Quinn".

Brennan wrote to A.G.S. from the Public Library, 22 March 1899. "Dear Mr Stephens, The next article will deal with Baudelaire and (generally) the second Romantic Generation (incidentally Flaubert). You might call it the 'Lazaretto of Romanticism' if you're after such a title. Am I to understand that by 'Bonus' and 'Bon Prime' I am to stick the books in my pocket quietly? If so, much thanks. I tackle Baudelaire and Co. tonight. I can let you have the article and pictures about Monday..." This article appeared in the following number of the 'magazinelet". The title was as suggested by Brennan.

Brennan wrote to Brereton in 1899 (his letter un-dated): "I had heard a week ago that the Bulletin people had put their feet down on Stephens and demanded that he should attend to the work for which he was hired, and enjoy less posing as Literary Tonard, less communing with self and nature in the mountains (this not so bad even if I have to lose my 31/6 over it)." When publication of The Bookfellow ceased in May 1899, Brennan wrote to Dowell O'Reilly: "There goes my 31/6!" In a letter to Brereton he commented that the little paper had "gone bung", and that it was "31/6 less for the household".

The first number was an extremely frail little booklet, and must have become scarce very rapidly, for in 1903 A.G.S. was advertising on the Red Page of the Bulletin for copies.

Shaw Neilson wrote to A.G,S. 26 June 1924: "Serle was reading last night from the delightful first Bookfellow. It was too brilliant a child to live".

Names:

Christopher Brennan

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