Harpole & Foxberrow General Publishers (1992)
This is Carr's eighth and final novel. It was the third book published by Quince Tree Press. (None of Carr's small books name the Quince Tree Press.) The full title, given on the second page of the book, is Harpole and Foxberrow General Publishers, A Business History (with Footnotes).
The Times
reported on Tuesday 2nd November 1982 (issue 61,378, page 12, column F) that J.L Carr had been awarded a bursary of £3,000 by the Arts Council to write a novel about publishing and writing. This is probably it. Bursaries were awarded at the same time to A.S. Byatt (£6,000), Christopher Hope (£5,000) and Graham Swift (£3,000) for his third novel.
Several characters appeared in Carr's previous novels: Mossop and Colonel Hebron appeared in A Month in the Country; Gidner (senior) appeared in Pollocks Crossing; Mr Fangfoss, Nobbut Beattie, Dr Kossuth, Alex and Diana Slingsby and Ginchy Montagu all appeared in Steeple Sinderby; George Harpole and Emma Foxberrow were the main protagonists in The Harpole Report with Edwin Shutlanger, Mrs Widmerpool's sister, Titus Fawcett, Emily Billitt, the Big Sixth Former, Mr Pintle, Grace Tollemache and Croser; while George finally came to take Emma away in What Hetty Did, told by Hetty Beauchamp.
(Last updated: 20/3/2024)
● First edition
Publisher: The Quince Tree Press, 27 Mill Dale Road, Kettering
Date of publication: June 1992
ISBN: 0 900847 93 X
Size: 198 x 131 mm
Pagination: 6 pp prelims, 157 pp
Binding: card wrappers
Dust jacket design: Ian Stephens
Internal illustrations: Joan Hassall, George Cruikshank.
Price: £4.95
Printed by: Stanley L. Hunt (Printers) Ltd, Rushden, Northamptonshire
Copies printed: 4,000
Dedication: For Heulwen who checked the proofs and for Mrs Widmerpool's sister who asked "What are books" etc.
Notes:
Heulwen was Heulwen Cox née Williams (1925-2011). She compiled three small books: R.L. Stevenson, George Cruikshank and Margaret Wells.
The End.
Front cover