The Anthony Powell Society Newsletter Issue 26, Spring 2007 ISSN 1743-0976 Colin Donald Interviews Koyama Taichi Contents Dr Koyama Taichi, who lectures at Wayo Interview with Koyama Taichi … 1 Women’s University near Tokyo, will be From the Secretary’s Desk … 2 familiar to many readers of Newsletter Koyama Taichi Book Review … 8 from the Eton and London conferences Harry Mount Book Review … 11 and by reputation as the leading Japanese Competition Results … 12 scholar of Anthony Powell. Christmas Quiz Answers … 13 Subscriptions … 15 Last autumn his adapted PhD thesis was Event: Visit to Widmerpool … 16 published by Hokuseido in Japan as The Dates for Your Diary … 17 Novels of Anthony Powell – A Critical Conference … 17 Study, a perceptive, comprehensive and at Local Group News … 18 times highly provocative study of the Powell & Aleister Crowley … 20 entire novelistic output of Anthony Powell. The Bag o’ Nails … 24 The book also contains an exceptionally Letters to the Editor … 27 useful bibliography. Society Merchandise … 30 Membership Form … 32 Hailing from the semi-rural hinterland of the ancient Japanese cultural capital of Strategy Review Report … centre insert Kyoto, Koyama Sensei is a graduate of the elite Tokyo University, and completed his PhD at the University of Kent. He is a distinguished translator of contemporary British fiction, including several acclaimed versions of the novels of Ian McEwan. He has already translated Afternoon Men into Japanese, the only Powell novel available in that language, and he hopes shortly to undertake the first Japanese translation of Jikan no ongaku no odori, or A Dance to the Music of Time. Koyama Taichi’s book on Anthony Powell is available online from www.amazon.jp (press “In English” on the title page, then type in the full title of the book). The price is ¥4001 (around £17 or $33.50 US). Taichi-san can be contacted at [email protected]. Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #26 From the Secretary’s Desk The Anthony Powell Society Registered Charity No. 1096873 None of us likes change and there is scientific evidence that procrastination is The Anthony Powell Society is a our default mindset – “if it ain’t broke, charitable literary society devoted to the don’t fix it” makes good evolutionary life and works of the English author sense. But change is a two-edged sword: Anthony Dymoke Powell, 1905-2000. both “good” and “uncomfortable” it can be serendipitous: opening unexpected doors; Officers & Executive Committee bringing fresh visions; new opportunities. Patron: John MA Powell The Society is about to see one of those changes which are, from time to time, President: Simon Russell Beale thrust upon us all. Our Chairman, Patric Hon. Vice-Presidents: Dickinson, has indicated that for personal Julian Allason reasons he will be standing down at this Hugh Massingberd year’s AGM. Patric has been tremendous *Chairman: Patric Dickinson value as Chairman: not only has he opened *Hon. Secretary: Dr Keith C Marshall numerous doors for us and worked quietly *Hon. Treasurer: Dr Derek Miles and tirelessly for the Society, he steered us through centenary year. While we shall be *Committee Members: sad to lose Patric’s undoubted skills, sooner Dr Christine Berberich or later we must all ensure that we look Dr Nicholas Birns (USA) after ourselves. Leatrice Fountain (USA) Stephen Holden How to replace such a Chairman? My Tony Robinson personal view, and not everyone will agree, Elwin Taylor is that we need a quiet, “doing” Chairman. Someone who, like Patric, can open doors; Newsletter & Journal Editor: work for us behind the scenes as well as out Stephen Holden front; add their skills and experience to help Hon. Archivist: Noreen Marshall run and develop the Society. That is a tall PR/Media Adviser: Julian Allason order; Patric will be a hard act to follow. All correspondence should be sent to: We are announcing this now not so that Hon. Secretary, Anthony Powell Society there can be a campaign to persuade Patric 76 Ennismore Avenue, Greenford to stay on – I’ve already tried, quietly, and Middlesex, UB6 0JW, UK failed, and we should respect Patric’s Phone: +44 20 8864 4095 decision – but so that we all have time to Fax: +44 20 8864 6109 search our hearts and minds and ask “Could Email: [email protected] I be Chairman?”. You can find a short description of the Chairman’s role in the Strategy Review Report at the centre of this * Members of the Executive Committee who are the Society’s trustees. All trustees are resident Newsletter. The only thing I would add is in England or Wales unless stated. that to satisfy the Charity Commission our Chairman should probably be resident in the UK. Many members would do an © The Anthony Powell Society, 2007 and the excellent job as Chairman and bring us individual authors named. All rights reserved. valuable skills. Who will be bold enough Published by The Anthony Powell Society. to volunteer? Printed and distributed by Express Printing, Peterborough, UK 2 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #26 Colin Donald: How did you first You have revised your thesis and turned encounter the writings of Anthony it into a book, but who is your Powell and why did you choose to study “imagined reader” of The Novels of him for your PhD? Anthony Powell? Koyama Taichi: Does the name Yoshida I wrote it to appeal to fellow Powell fans, Kenichi ring a bell? He is the celebrated and to win over those who haven’t read novelist-critic and high-spirited drunkard Dance but who are interested, however who interviewed Powell in Tokyo (see The slightly. Strangers All Are Gone). Yoshida later became one of Japan’s foremost critics, How would you summarise the writing extensively on Japanese, Chinese, substance of the book? English and French literature. I am a great “A close analysis of one of the greatest fan of Yoshida’s writings, and his mention comic representations of the modern of Powell in one of his essays started it all world”. I’m no great theorist – or a blurb off for me. To be honest I chose Powell as writer! the subject of my PhD partly because few others were “doing” him, but mainly Is Powell studied or read much in because I had always been fascinated by Japan? the English comic novel and Powell Regrettably, Powell’s readership in Japan seemed an exceptional figure within that is quite small at present. I published my tradition. translation of Afternoon Men in 1999, and some of the original 2,000 copies are still Koyama Taichi 3 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #26 available in major Tokyo bookstores. I do Onishi had ever read or even heard of my best! Powell when he wrote the 1955-1980 series; it’s just one of those Powellian Are there any Dance-style novel coincidences that happen from time to sequences in modern Japanese time. literature? In his memoirs Powell mentions his The elegiac beauty of Tanizaki’s admiration for The Tale of Genji by Sasameyuki (1943-1948, in English The Lady Murasaki [Lady Violet!] (ca. 973- Makioka Sisters), comes immediately to 1014). What do you think appealed to mind. But as a trilogy it’s too short to be him about what is arguably the first- called a full roman fleuve, and its tone is ever novel in any language? not necessarily comic. Her keen sense of social nuances and the At the risk of sounding eccentric, I would interaction of human desires, especially name Shinsei Kigeki (Divine Comedy, sexual ones. Also, Genji is a novel about though it’s not translated into English yet) the passing of time. I must confess that by Onishi Kyojin. Onishi (1919-) reminds her Japanese is a bit too classical for me; me of Powell’s friend George Orwell: a reading it through in the original remains left-wing writer at odds with the one of my great ambitions. There is Communist Party. Shinsei Kigeki is, however a wonderful translation into roughly, Dance’s war trilogy extended to modern Japanese by the aforementioned eight volumes. Onishi’s way of depicting Tanizaki. life’s irrelevantly comic moments in a sober, deliberate style makes them all the What inspired a young student from funnier, often making me think of Powell Japan’s cultural heartland, with no and Dance. Shinsei Kigeki even includes family tradition of foreign studies, to go an officer-soldier interrogation that goes on and master English language and seriously awry, in the same way as the literature? Gwatkin-Sayce scene! I don’t think Scene from the 11th century book The Tale of Genji. 4 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #26 My father was a fan of classic Hollywood shared by Patrick Swinden in his 1986 movies; he introduced me to the films of study The English Novel of History and Ford, Capra, Hawks et al. I was fascinated Society, which I recommend to Powell by the sophisticated comedies of the fans, who may enjoy countering its thirties and forties, and became motivated arguments. My view on Powell was to study English. Then one day I came certainly influenced by their views: though across a Japanese edition of Thackeray’s I’m not sure how deeply. Studying under Vanity Fair. It was an 80-year old someone who is stubbornly anti-Powell translation, but an excellent one. That was prevented me from writing the eulogy that my introduction to English literature and I had intended, which is probably a good made me think about becoming a thing. I had to work hard to convince translator, which I did in my early postgrad Irwin, a bitter fight that I’m not so sure I days.