| Description | Folder of typed letters from Ethel Mannin to Christopher Walker, written between January and May 1968. The correspondence begins with a letter written pn 26 January 1968 to Walker in response to a letter of his that was published in The Times two days earlier. It refers to a mutual acquaintance, the Rev. Eric Bishop (a former missionary in Palestine) who is referred to frequently elsewhere in their correspondence (often as 'Rev. Bish') and outlines her position on Palestine and Israel, her criticisms of CAABU (the newly-formed Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding) and her statement at last night's meeting of the Arab Students Union conference.
Subsequent letters cover topics such as Iran and Al-Fatah, parallels between Palestine and the treatment of indigenous people in North America, discussion of recent events in Palestine and elsewhere, her views on various antisemitic pro-Arab organisations, her contact with (and opinions of) Musa Mazzawi, Issa Nakleh, Moshe Menuhin, Basil Aql, Max Beloff, Faris Glubb, Michael Adams, Anthony Nutting, Enoch Powell and others, views on organisations such as the Arab League, the PLO, the American Friends of the Middle East, the Free Arabia Committee and the American Council for Jerusalem.
There is also a set of four pages of undated typed notes, headed 'M.E. NOTES FOR C.W. from E.M. 1968', containing details of people, places and recommended hotel accommodation in Jordan, Cairo, Beirut and Syria. In several of her letters she encouraged Walker to travel to the Middle East, and there are also references to arrangements for them to meet for lunch. Several of the letters refer to her writings, including her two novels about Palestine - ' The Path to Beersheba' (1963) and 'The Night and its Homing' (1966). Also enclosed is a letter from Major General Sir Edward Spears to Christopher Walker, accompanied by a postcard from Ethel Mannin commenting on his support for the Arab cause. |