“The Shaping of a Writer”: Gollancz’s epitextual construction of Daphne du Maurier’s persona

Abstract

The following article stems from an academic visit at the Modern Records Centre of the University of Warwick (2021), aimed at collecting and studying evidence on the British reception of Daphne du Maurier’s works. In particular, the collection “Papers of Sir Victor Gollancz” was analysed, given the fruitful relationship between du Maurier and her first British publisher. During the analysis, the significance of Gollancz’s catalogues was observed, as they all presented an accurately crafted image of du Maurier. This operation was carried out by means of a few epitextual strategies, such as a focus on the author’s personal life and the place where she lived, an insistence on the popularity of Rebecca (the author’s most well-known novel), the usage of recurring terms, and others. This article, therefore, aims at exploring the editorial strategies employed by Gollancz to craft du Maurier’s public image as an author, which found a paratextual expression in the publisher’s catalogues. I argue that Gollancz created an actual myth of du Maurier’s life and persona, thus guiding the British public towards a pre-determined approach to her works which contributed to how the author came to be perceived.