Louis-Ferdinand CELINE organizes the re-release of Journey to the End of the Night.

Louis-Ferdinand CELINE (1894.1961)

Autographed letter signed to Jean-Gabriel Daragnès.

Five folio pages. (Korsør). ^May 1 (1949)

Slight tears in the center at the folds of the pages.

Unpublished letter to the Pléiade Correspondence.

"We're practically dead if we never, ever, ever laugh."

A long and detailed letter from Céline concerning the interventions on his behalf by Raoul Nordling, the Swedish Consul in Paris, and the republication of * Voyage au bout de la nuit* by the publisher Ch. Frémanger. Céline mentions Albert Camus, whose support he had sought.

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“My dear old friend, I’m hurrying to reply to your letter, point by point like Wilson, to avoid any confusion. 1. I wrote to you from Fez… 2. Nordling’s messing around. He asked me to put together a small group of friends, etc. I wasn’t too keen on the idea… I complied… I actually said no… Well, I could have sent him crowds… I sent him Marie Bell—hardly a collaborator—! Camus and Dr. Odette Poulain , 1 rue de Bellechasse—a high-ranking representative. It wasn’t me who messed up, it was him . We’ll do what he does with Schumann. All this seems rather odious, murky. People have come here to see the oddity. That’s nice. But I think that’s all […] we’re still keeping quiet. Above all, we can’t do nothing. Nordling wanted to go have a good time on the French Riviera with Coccinelle.” He was annoyed that they were asking for him […] Mik's going to Paris too. He has nothing to do there and doesn't want to do anything there either. He's bored to death. English melancholy and stinginess. A very kind heart, but that's just how he is. So don't tell him anything about the reissues […]

No news from Joulon – he must be up in the ass – or in the savannah […] I've applied for Spain – officially , but since I don't have a passport , it'll all be for nothing until I get the legal hammer blow, then I'll thank heaven and earth. But what to do with my current murky, shady state? Everything's done (…) Have you heard about Frémanger? He'll come to see you at the end of May. That's the agreement. […] He's going to release * Voyage* one of these days in Brussels. That's all. We'll see the reactions then. Sailboats, etc… […] If you go back up North, don't forget us! We'd love to see you and give you a hug. We're practically dead from never, ever, ever laughing again .