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Marjorie-Ann Watt’s letter to Torner

© Marjorie-Ann Watts / PEN International
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© Marjorie-Ann Watts / PEN International

Marjorie-Ann Watt’s letter to Torner

Typed and handwritten letter from Marjorie-Ann Watts to Carles Torner, London, 28 May 2019, f. 1. In this letter Marjorie-Ann Watts, granddaughter of PEN International’s founder Catharine Amy Dawson Scott, contests claims made in a copy of PEN International’s Charter given to her by Carles Torner, executive director of PEN International (2014-20). Watts played an active role in the creation of PEN International’s Archive, and here expresses dismay at sidelined and “not only verging on patriarchial, but untrue” descriptions of her grandmother under a paragraph titled Galsworthy’s Inspiration in a PEN International brochure. As Watts notes, PEN was aided and presented by the “modest” and “reserved” John Galsworthy, who became the organisation’s first president, but was inspired and started by Catharine Amy Dawson Scott, an “outward going, optimistic, unconventional and undisciplined woman” – one whose legacy should be correctly preserved as the originator of PEN International, whose 100th year and ongoing future we are celebrating today.

Marjorie-Ann Watt’s letter to Torner

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Carta de Marjorie-Ann Watt a Torner

Carta manuscrita de Marjorie-Ann Watts a Carles Torner, Londres, 28 de mayo de 2019, f. 1. En esta carta, Marjorie-Ann Watts, nieta de la fundadora de PEN Internacional, Catharine Amy Dawson Scott, responde a afirmaciones escritas en un ejemplar del Acta Constitutiva de PEN Internacional que le había hecho llegar Carles Torner, director ejecutivo de PEN Internacional (2014-20). Watts jugó un papel importante en la creación del Archivo de PEN Internacional, y aquí hace notar su consternación con respecto a las descripciones de su abuela «no solo al borde de ser patriarcales, sino también falsas», en un párrafo titulado Galsworthy's Inspiration del folleto de PEN Internacional. Como apunta Watts, PEN recibió la ayuda y fue representado por el «modesto» y «reservado» John Galsworthy, el primer presidente de la organización, pero fue concebido y emprendido por Catharine Amy Dawson Scott, una «mujer abierta, optimista, poco convencional y no disciplinada» cuyo legado como ideóloga de PEN Internacional tendría que preservarse adecuadamente. PEN celebra hoy los primeros 100 años de la organización.

Date:

28/05/2019

Creator:

Marjorie-Ann Watts

Belongs to:

PEN International

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