To Elizabeth Mowat, Curtis Brown, Ltd. [Letter 504]

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36 East 36th Street
New York 16, New York

June 8, 1963

Miss Elizabeth Mowat
Curtis Brown, Ltd.
575 Madison Avenue
New York 22, New York

Dear Miss Mowat:

I am enclosing my copy of the contract for the Spanish language rights to Anthem. As you will see, the contract does not grant the Spanish publisher the right to popular reprints.

As we discussed on the telephone, my main problem in regard to Luis de Caralt is his breach of contract on his publication of my collected works.

Please notify Mr. de Caralt that I have written to you as follows and please quote to him verbatim the following three paragraphs:

“I consider the inclusion of unauthorized prefaces and illustrations in the first volume of my collected works in the Spanish language as a flagrant, offensive and damaging breach of contract. My contract with Luis de Caralt specifies that my novels are to be translated and published without any changes of any nature whatsoever. This means that he had no right to include prefaces which argue against the philosophical ideas expressed in my novels. He has no legal or moral right to use my novels for the purpose of selling to my readers the views of my enemies. In regard to the illustrations, they are in dreadful taste and they contradict the content of my novels, specifically of Atlas Shrugged in which I denounce so-called “modern” art in no uncertain terms. Among these illustrations there is a crude cartoon of me, printed apparently instead of a photograph; this is self-evidently

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undignified and maliciously offensive.

“Therefore, I demand that Mr. de Caralt eliminate all the prefaces and all the illustrations from the first volume of my collected works and abstain from any such inclusions in the subsequent volumes. If he wishes to use illustrations in the future, they are to be submitted to me for my approval. As to prefaces, I forbid them altogether: my novels are to be published as they are written, without changes, cuts or additions.

“If Mr. de Caralt does not comply with this demand, I shall consider all our contracts void and shall take whatever legal action may be appropriate.”

The issue of the popular reprint of Anthem will depend on Mr. de Caralt’s answer to the above. The contract for Anthem gives him exclusive rights to publication in the Spanish language—therefore, I believe that neither he nor I can authorize a popular reprint except by mutual consent. I will not grant my consent unless he complies with the above conditions.

In regard to a different subject: I am enclosing a letter which I received, inquiring about the Greek language rights to The Fountainhead. (I do not know the Lois Stewart to whom the letter refers.) Would you please look into this matter and let me know what they have in mind, and whether these are reputable agents or publishers.

Sincerely,

Ayn Rand
AR:dk

Luis De Caralt answered that although he found neither the cartoon of AR nor the admittedly negative introduction to be offensive, he would eliminate both in future printings.