Correspondence with English poet and translator Robert Wells, who worked for Carcanet from mid-1977 to mid-1978. Much of this relates to Wells's first poetry collection The winter's task (Carcanet, 1977), including references to: his initial submission of the manuscript in 1976, which Schmidt did not accept at that point despite his enthusiasm for Wells's work, asking him instead to contribute to the Ten English poets anthology (1976); Wells's resubmission of the collection in May 1976 at Schmidt's invitation; revisions to the book and discussions about the arrangement of the poems; plans to include some of the poems in PN Review; the poetic influence of James Thomson on the poems; the proofing process; cover design; Wells's thoughts on the published volume; possible reviewers; a copy sent to C.H. Sisson; and plans for B. Halliday (on whose estate in Devon Wells worked for some time) to publicise the book in his area (includes two letters from Halliday) (see (/16, /21, /33, /35-43, /45, /52, /54-56, /58-59, /61, /63-66 and /87). There are also references to Ten English poets and another planned Carcanet/PN Review anthology to feature Wells (/35, /40, /43-45, /47-48, /54, /58-60 and /90). General references are also made to his work on translating Virgil's Georgics [his version was published by Carcanet in 1982].
Other topics include: a teaching qualification undertaken by Wells in London; subsequent arrangements for him to move to Manchester and work for Carcanet in 1977; his later job at Leicester University; C.H. Sisson's work, political views, and meetings with Sisson, who was introduced to Wells by Schmidt (the more substantial references to Sisson can be found at /20, /26, /46, /48, /51-54 and /60); Donald Davie (the most significant references at /23, /32, /60 and /64); common literary acquaintances Clive Wilmer, Dick Davis and Michael Vince; Sisson's thoughts on Wilmer's poems (/25); Peter Levi's work (/14); Wells's discovery of the work of Edward Carpenter and Alfred Williams (/24); George Gascoigne's poetry (/18-19 and /25); the possibility of Wells editing a selection of James Thomson's work for the Fyfield Series (/42 and /46); Elizabeth Daryush's work (/49); Wells's reviewing work for PN Review; the possibility of Carcanet publishing John Heath-Stubbs (/49); the death of G.S. Fraser in Leicester [in 1980] and a memorial evening held for him (/94 and /100); a reading by Thom Gunn at Leicester (/95); a meeting with Edgar [Bowers] at Cambridge (/95); Wells's thoughts on Schmidt's novel The colonist (/98 and /100); and his thoughts on Seamus Heaney's work (/100).
The file includes a number of holograph and typescript blurbs produced by Wells for Carcanet authors, as follows: Edgar Bowers (/12); Glen Cavaliero (/27); Clive Wilmer (/28); Vasco Popa (/29); and John Clare (/31); and /11 is a reader's report [presumably by Wells] on D.G. Bridson's 'The Quest of Gilgamesh'. /97 includes a note from Clive [Wilmer]; there are two postcards from Wells's friend Rana, and three letters from Wells's brother Alexander. /10 is a reader's report by Alexander Wells on translations of [Alexander] Blok [by Geoffrey Thurley, turned down by Schmidt, as recorded in CPA/2/2/115]. /78-79 include references supplied by Schmidt for Wells for university job applications.
The file contains numerous typescript or copy typescript poems presumably by Wells (although not all directly attributed); some are annotated. These are as follows: 'The Colonist' (photocopy, with photocopied comment from Clive [Wilmer]); 'Woodman's Song'; 'A Greeting' (/26); Bundle of unattributed and largely untitled poems: "Lying down to sleep he thinks the body stilled...", "It falters in the cold air...", 'From the Felled Trunk', and ten stanzas apparently all forming part of the same poem beginning "I stand on the doorstep. The land is shadowy..." (/81); 'Another View' (/82); and 'Outside' (/86). /13 is a printed version of Wells's poem 'A Coin' produced by the Mandeville Press. /89 is a typescript translation 'Illness and Idleness' dated AD 812, and attributed to 'Arthur Waley - Po Chu-i'.
Dated at: London NW5; Stockport, Cheshire; Leicester; Rome, Italy; Paris and Rouen, France.
Holograph and typescript.