The pages of the document are neatly stapled together at the head and pinned to the agreement are three additional unsigned typed memorandum notes, dated between 1953-60 and concerning alterations to royalty payments, an agreement with Doubledays for a Canadian edition etc., and also including a T.L.S. The document further states that the work will be published within six months of the date of the agreement at a price of 10s 6d and that a royalty of 17.5% will be paid to Du Maurier for all sold copies of the original English edition and royalties of 10% and 7.5% for cheaper editions, also detailing conditions regarding remainders and agreeing to send Du Maurier six presentation copies of the work on the first day of publication. The agreement comprising twelve clauses, details the terms of copyright and exclusive licence for Victor Gollancz Ltd, to publish the work in the English language throughout the British Commonwealth and Empire and the rest of the world, excluding the United States of America. The typescript document is a Memorandum of Agreement between Du Maurier and the publishers Victor Gollancz Limited and relates to a collection of short stories by the author entitled The Apple Tree. Doubleday published the novelettes in America under the title Kiss Me Again, Stranger.

It was also in this year that Du Maurier’s collection was republished under its current title of The Birds and Other Stories. The collection of short stories included The Birds which served as the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s film of the same name, released in 1963.

The document relates to Du Maurier’s anthology The Apple Tree which was originally published by Gollancz in the United Kingdom in 1952. Accompanying the book is the original agreement between Victor Gollancz and Daphne Du Maurier. A very good book without inscriptions in a very good unclipped wrapper with a little wear to the head of the spine.

A first edition, first printing published by Gollancz in 1952.

The apple tree daphne du maurier