Kornei Chukovsky  /  Correspondence 5

Dear Lyda. Yesterday I received a letter from the United States stating that a Russian magazine printed the first part of "Sofiya Petrovna" with a note from the editors that the novella is being published without the knowledge or consent of the author...

I informed my daughter of the fact you reported to me that some quarterly had printed her work, and she would like to know who took it from the editorial office of the “Soviet Writer.”

I was very excited by the news about the little novella being printed abroad without the knowledge or permission of the author. Here It had been in two editorial offices, and apparently, some enterpriser made a copy of it for himself. The author did not know what happened...

Today I received a local Russian magazine in which your daughter Lydia’s short story "Sofiya Petrovna" was printed (for the first time). The editors indicate in a note that they published it without the knowledge or consent of the author. I must say that this story about the events of 1937...

I am writing to you <…> also because the Parisian publishing house Piat’ Kontinentov asked me to find out if you received Lyda’s book, which they released in several test copies to be sent to you and Lyda. The publisher really wants to know your opinion on his work and about the potential future of the book...