Greetings to all admirers of George
Gissing. Whether
I must introduce myself is doubtful as anyone even slightly acquainted with his
personality and the bulk of his fiction is likely to have come across my name,
but to anyone who is discovering my existence, I may at least say that, since
the early 1960s, I have been trying in many books and articles to define his
status as a major late Victorian novelist. I have commented, in English and in
French, on various aspects of his fiction, I have written a (still unpublished)
biography of him which I am now going to revise thoroughly, I have edited or coedited his correspondence, translated into French, on my
own or in collaboration, a number of his works, the latest title being By
the Ionian Sea.
Gissing
studies are very much alive and each of us can help to make the works known to
a larger audience by becoming a discreet yet persuasive propagandist. It is
gratifying to know that our favourite writer has friends, not only in the
academic world, as has been the case in the last few decades, but also in the
world of journalism, and of course among general readers. It is essential that
his name should appear as often as possible in the press, opportunities being
offered by the publication of new editions, of new books by him (like those
based on his private papers, carefully edited by Bouwe
Postmus) or about him (like the forthcoming The Gissing
Memoirs of Brian Ború Dunne), or indeed by
unexpected events such as the worldwide use of the word paparazzo/paparazzi
after the tragic death of Princess Diana.
New
books of Gissing interest will be published in the next few years, books of
biographical, bibliographical and critical interest--in
Please note that the Gissing Journal, a quarterly publication of 40 pages publishes articles and notes about his life and work. In theory all subjects are acceptable--whether they deal with biographical, critical, bibliographical, genealogical or topographical matters. Collectors, among other people, should share their knowledge.
My address is 10, rue Gay-Lussac, 59110
E-mail: pierre.coustillas@wanadoo.fr
Tel.: 03.20.51.29.27
Fax: 03.20.13.82.19
http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/GG-Coustillas.html