Levi has proposed Langbein’s Menschen in Auschwitz (People in Auschwitz) to Einaudi, to see if they might be interested in publishing it in Italian; he has written to Luciana Nissim Momigliano regarding the trial against Johann Schindler.
merci bien du résumé de ton livre. Je l’ai immédiatement présenté à l’éditeur Einaudi: en principe (c’est à dire, naturellement, sans engagement) les lecteurs se sont déclarés intéressés à le lire, et ils m’ont chargé de te dire qu’ils seraient heureux de recevoir les épreuves d’impression: tu peux les envoyer directement à cette adresse:
Tout en leur laissant la priorité, je tâcherai de les avoir après leur lecture, pour les lire moi-même.
Entre temps, j’ai écrit à Luciana Momigliano,[3] pour la solliciter à t’écrire ; pour ce qui est de Bianca Morpurgo, j’ai essayé vainement de la retrouver: elle s’est éloignée de Gênes depuis bien des années, paraît avoir habité quelque temps à Vérone, d’où elle a disparu sans laisser aucune trace.
Avec mes voeux les meilleurs pour ton ouvrage et pour toi personnellement, je suis
ton ami et camarade
Primo Levi
30/4/1972
Caro Hermann,
grazie molte per il riassunto del tuo libro. L’ho presentato immediatamente all’editore Einaudi: in linea di massima (ovvero, naturalmente, senza impegno) i lettori si sono detti interessati a guardarlo e mi hanno incaricato di dirti che sarebbero lieti di ricevere le bozze di stampa: puoi mandarle direttamente a questo indirizzo:
Pur lasciando a loro la precedenza, cercherò di farmele dare subito dopo per poterle leggere io stesso.
Frattanto ho scritto a Luciana Momigliano,[3] per sollecitarla a contattarti; quanto a Bianca Morpurgo, ho tentato invano di trovarla: è andata via da Genova molti anni fa, pare che abbia abitato per qualche tempo a Verona, da dove è sparita senza lasciare tracce.
Con i migliori auguri per il tuo libro e per te personalmente, il tuo amico e compagno
Primo Levi
4/30/1972
Dear Hermann,
Thank you for the summary of your book. I immediately showed it to the publisher Einaudi: in theory (meaning, naturally, without commitment) the readers said they were interested in reading it, and they told me to tell you that they would be happy to receive the proofs: you can send them directly to this address:
Although I am giving them the first opportunity, I will try to obtain the proofs after they have finished so that I can read them myself.
In the meantime, I have written to Luciana Momigliano,[3] to ask her to write to you; as for Bianca Morpurgo, I have tried in vain to find her: she left Genoa many years ago, and seems to have lived in Verona for a while, but she disappeared from there without a trace.
With my best wishes for your book and for you personally, I remain
your friend and comrade
Primo Levi
30/4/1972
Cher Hermann,
merci bien du résumé de ton livre. Je l’ai immédiatement présenté à l’éditeur Einaudi: en principe (c’est à dire, naturellement, sans engagement) les lecteurs se sont déclarés intéressés à le lire, et ils m’ont chargé de te dire qu’ils seraient heureux de recevoir les épreuves d’impression: tu peux les envoyer directement à cette adresse:
Tout en leur laissant la priorité, je tâcherai de les avoir après leur lecture, pour les lire moi-même.
Entre temps, j’ai écrit à Luciana Momigliano,[3] pour la solliciter à t’écrire ; pour ce qui est de Bianca Morpurgo, j’ai essayé vainement de la retrouver: elle s’est éloignée de Gênes depuis bien des années, paraît avoir habité quelque temps à Vérone, d’où elle a disparu sans laisser aucune trace.
Avec mes voeux les meilleurs pour ton ouvrage et pour toi personnellement, je suis
ton ami et camarade
Primo Levi
30/4/1972
Caro Hermann,
grazie molte per il riassunto del tuo libro. L’ho presentato immediatamente all’editore Einaudi: in linea di massima (ovvero, naturalmente, senza impegno) i lettori si sono detti interessati a guardarlo e mi hanno incaricato di dirti che sarebbero lieti di ricevere le bozze di stampa: puoi mandarle direttamente a questo indirizzo:
Pur lasciando a loro la precedenza, cercherò di farmele dare subito dopo per poterle leggere io stesso.
Frattanto ho scritto a Luciana Momigliano,[3] per sollecitarla a contattarti; quanto a Bianca Morpurgo, ho tentato invano di trovarla: è andata via da Genova molti anni fa, pare che abbia abitato per qualche tempo a Verona, da dove è sparita senza lasciare tracce.
Con i migliori auguri per il tuo libro e per te personalmente, il tuo amico e compagno
Primo Levi
4/30/1972
Dear Hermann,
Thank you for the summary of your book. I immediately showed it to the publisher Einaudi: in theory (meaning, naturally, without commitment) the readers said they were interested in reading it, and they told me to tell you that they would be happy to receive the proofs: you can send them directly to this address:
Although I am giving them the first opportunity, I will try to obtain the proofs after they have finished so that I can read them myself.
In the meantime, I have written to Luciana Momigliano,[3] to ask her to write to you; as for Bianca Morpurgo, I have tried in vain to find her: she left Genoa many years ago, and seems to have lived in Verona for a while, but she disappeared from there without a trace.
With my best wishes for your book and for you personally, I remain
your friend and comrade
Primo Levi
Info
Notes
Tag
Sender: Primo Levi
Addressee: Hermann Langbein
Date of Drafting: 1972-04-30
Place of Writing: Turin
Description: typewritten letter on letterhead paper, handwritten signature and insertions in black ballpoint pen and red ballpoint pen, mm225x140.
Letterhead: PRIMO LEVI | CORSO RE UMBERTO 75 | 10128 TORINO | Tel. (011) 584.677
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15160/J7G5-Z650
1
Alongside Einaudi’s address is an oblique handwritten insertion in red ballpoint pen written by Langbein with a date, “5.5,” followed by a word that is hard to decipher, perhaps “Pogets,” “Pagets,” “Pageb,” or “Pogeb.”
2
At the time, the person in charge of the publishing company’s press office.
3
Levi’s letter to Luciana Nissim, dated April 26, 1972, was published in Alessandra Chiappano, Luciana Nissim Momigliano. Una vita, Florence: La Giuntina, 2010, pg. 235. Referring to Johann Schindler, Levi wrote: “I do not know what you think, but as for me, I believe that, if possible, it is better to have a person like him inside than outside, and better late than never.”
