KIPLING TELLS HIS CORRESPONDENT THE DERIVATION OF THE TITLE OF 'REWARDS AND FAIRIES' KIPLING (Rudyard, 1865-1936, Novelist & Poet)

Exceptional Autograph Letter in Capital Letters Signed with initials to G. B. Richardson describing a photo of the 'Hotel Reina Victoria sobre el borde del Tajo' (hotel Victoria on the edge of the Tagus) at Ronda in Malaga, the image shows the hotel on the cliff-top and he says that "This is some distance from Walsend but the same Roman left his mark here. A most lovely place ...", he goes on the explain that "As to Rewards and Fairies. It is the first line of some verses written over two hundred years ago by an old Bishop. It begins 'Farewell Rewards and Fairies', the rest of the verse you will find in 'Puck of Pook's Hill'. In the first tale P leaves out the line owing to his objection to the word 'Fairies'. The sense is as it appears. 'Rewards' = 'Recompense' ...", 1 side postcard with address on the same side, neatly pasted in to a copy of 'Rewards and Fairies' opposite the photo he describes, Ronda, 6th April

For another example of Kipling's writing in block capitals there is a similar letter in The Library of Congress, dated the day before, from the same Spanish Hotel.
In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Nobel prize had been established in 1901 and Kipling was the first English-language recipient. Book-ending this achievement was the publication of two connected poetry and story collections: Puck of Pook's Hill (1906), and Rewards and Fairies (1910). The latter contained the poem "If—", possibly his most famous poem.

Item Date:  1922

Stock No:  36895