Hayward translation of "Zhivago"

[Robert Chandler]

Dear Stephanie,

It is in fact standard practice for publishers and literary agents to sell
EXCLUSIVE translation rights to another publisher.  These rights can last as
long as copyright in the original author.  It is only because of the USSR
not signing up to copyright agreements, etc, that we have got used to this
kind of free-for-all with respect to translations of modern Russian writers.

Personally I think that EXCLUSIVE rights lasting for decades are wrong.  I
would prefer to see a limit of, say 15 or 20 years, on the exclusivity of
such rights.

There is, however, a new English ZHIVAGO in the pipeline, though I do not
know details.  Maybe from Pantheon.

Best Wishes,

R.




> The recent discussion of translations of "Master and Margarita" prompted
> another question. As far as I know, there is only one English translation
> of "Doctor Zhivago",and that's the one by Max Hayward et al. Is there some
> reason this book has only had one translation, whereas with other works there
> may be multiple translations? Did it have something to do with Pasternak (a
> friend of his, more precisely) having to smuggle the work out of Russia
> inorder 
> to get it published (i.e., the initial Soviet crackdown on the book)?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Stephanie Sures
> University of Manitoba
> 
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