Copy on [illegible] LE/2/15
COPY
AUTHORS NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Briarlea House,

Mortimer, Berks.

Feb. 1st 1941

My dear Monckton,

We held a meeting of the Executive of this Committee today. As I trust you know, it exists to press the claims of authors for national work suitable to them and helps departments in need of the services of authors by submitting names from carefully checked lists. These lists of authors, by the way, have just been revised.

But what I wanted to say to you was this, that several of our members feel strongly - and we are in agreement with them - that authors of distinction should be attached to the various Services just as artists are. These authors would be something more than the journalists already working for the services, and of course would be different from the official historians. Their task would be try and turn events connected with the various services into literature. For example, a first-class writer could do something imperishable about this desert campaign of Wavell's if he were on the spot. I gather that Charles Morgan, who was a naval officer once, is only too anxious to serve the Navy in this capacity. A writer like Tomlinson would be magnificent for the Mercantile Marine. Excellent writers like Linklater are already serving in the Army. We would, of course, give you all necessary assistance in trying to find the right authors. I do hope you will give this idea very serious consideration, and let me know if there is anything I can do to further the scheme.

Yours sincerely,

(sgd) J.B. Priestley