Output details

The Letters of William Godwin, Volume 1: 1778-1797.

Pamela Clemit was the sole editor of this volume of fully annotated texts of 191 letters. Many of these letters are published here for the first time. Work involved collection, dating, identification of recipients, establishing of texts, transcriptions from original manuscripts, writing bibliographical notes, and researching extensive biographical, historical, and literary annotations. In a substantial number of cases it was necessary to decipher texts from semi-legible wet-transfer copies made using an early copying machine. The output includes a critical introduction plus extensive editorial matter.

This scholarly edition took 5 years to research, write and edit (including 3 years' full-time research). It provides fully annotated texts of 191 letters, newly transcribed from original manuscripts. Many are published for the first time. The letters are drawn from the Bodleian Library, the New York Public Library, and smaller repositories worldwide. They represent texts at different stages of composition. Work involved identification, dating, decisions about which text to print, and biographical, historical, and literary research for the annotations. This 270,000 word edition includes a critical introduction of 10,000 words; a chronology; appendices; and a comprehensive index.