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A4. pp. [ii], 358, recto only. 1998-2000 Pencil notes loosely inserted at intervals in the text, not in Goff's hand. Corrections in the text in another unknown hand. Original green project folder with metal fastener. Martyn Goff's own copy. Cathy Courtney interview with Martyn Goff made over a period of 12 sessions dating from 03.09.1998 - 23.08.2000 most probably for an autobiography (not published) that he was working on and which he promised would contain "sexual shenanigans" although these would be "quite minor compared to other things."' The subjects are wide-ranging and include: family life and background, schooldays, the break up of his parents marriage, the trip to Australia, love affairs, his homosexuality, an anecdote at the time of joining the RAF about being Jewish, reading the News of the World when he was quite young, being allowed to sit with the chauffeur in the front which helped develop his early love of cars, his father never carrying less than £500 in his pocket, an anecdote about Prince Philip, the character of his mother and her love of cooking, memories of his father's fur business and his will, Anne Crawford and encounters with J.B Priestley, while at school he was winner of the Sturge Prize and was Sussex under 18 tennis champion, the influence of Margot Hegginbotham regarding books, Laurence Olivier supplying free tickets, meetings with Jacques Tati and Sam Wannamaker, the end of the war, setting up as a bookseller, meeting with Anne Graham Bell and Gerald Reitlinger, mentions of Robert Maxwell, the publication of 'The Young Director' (which was cited by Angus Wilson as one of the books that changed the climate of opinion about homosexuality), Edward Thompson, Gielgud anecdote, mentions of Robert Bolt, Alan Hill and a story relating to Boccabianca - the Vinci family villa in Italy which became a place of refuge for prisoners of war and secret agents during World War Two. Martyn Goff (1923 Ð 2015) author, Director of the National Book League, Administrator of the Booker Prize for Fiction, President of the Society of Bookmen, and Chairman of Henry Sotheran. National Life Stories is the charitable trust based in the oral section of the British Library which comprises recorded in-depth interviews plus content summaries and (if funds allow) transcripts to assist users. Martyn Goff led a similar project called 'Book Trade Lives' funded by the Unwin Foundation which interviewed 120 of those involved in bookselling. Cathy Courtney is currently project manager and an interviewer for 'National Life Stories: Artists' Lives'. Very good.
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