From the publisher On Our Fiftieth Anniversary Anniversaries invariably inspire one to look back and take stock of accomplishments and significant moments, of the experiences—good and bad—that shaped all the moments leading to the present. As our publishing house approaches its fiftieth anniversary, we find ourselves indulging in more reminiscing than usual, proud and more surprised than anything else to have reached such a milestone and to be able to claim to have been publishing for half a century. In hindsight, I see how fortunate I was to begin my publishing career in earnest in the early 1960s. Europe was abuzz with new writers; novelists in France, Italy, and Germay felt energized by a newly found sense of freedom that echoed throughout their social, political, and personal lives. When I arrived in Paris, I quickly became aware of the authors of the nouveau roman (the new novel), an approach to writing that challenged the traditional structure of fictional narrative. Nathalie Sarraute, Marguerite Duras, Claude Simon, and others had embraced the challenge of exploring ideas through this new literary form. I felt, and continue to feel, that I bore witness to the conception of an influential literary movement. I was doubly fortunate during the early years to have no preconceptions about my role as publisher. I simply felt that I was on a quest to know more about the world and how others interpreted it, and every new discovery opened doors to others. My acquaintance with French writers inspired my search for new authors in Italy, where I encountered the work of Carlo Emilio Gadda. I looked further afield and became enchanted by the stories of Nigeria's Buchi Emecheta as well as Neil Jordan in Ireland, David Malouf in Australia, and Orhan Pamuk in Turkey. It is impossible to recognize everyone that had a profound impact in shaping our list, but there are three that I would like to mention. I was first exposed to the work of one of them, Janet Frame, in the early 1960s. Her writing was so fresh and original, so imaginative and insightful that I felt immediately compelled to make it known to others. Frame's recent death in January 2004 was a painful shock and an irreplacable loss. A celebration of our fiftieth anniversary would not be complete without a special acknowledgment of her and of her importance to our house. I view Kathleen Raine's work in a similar light. The exquisitely wrought volumes of her autobiography—Farewell Happy Fields, The Land Unknown, and The Lion's Mouth—impressed me as both fearlessly honest and completely unpretentious. I was moved to see Raine reveal herself in them as, in the words of one critic, "a soul in search of a destiny." Nathalie Sarraute was another writer who made an invaluable contribution to our list. My first encounter with her work was in Paris, where her reputation at that time was as one of the pioneers of the nouveau roman. Portrait of a Man Unknown, published in 1958, was a major work of avant-garde literature at the time, and it helped introduce her to an American audience. In their own way, Janet Frame, Kathleen Raine, and Nathalie Sarraute are each high points in the quest I embarked on through my career in publishing. Today, some five decades later, I continue to feel the same call to go on seeking, to search for fresh, new voices, be they in the fields of fiction, literature, or art. This catalog, then, reflects the pleasure I have long enjoyed in that ongoing journey and looks forward to my newest efforts, my newest discoveries. Above all, this anniversary inspires me with gratitude for the many wonderful memories and renews my energies to press forward with eagerness and enthusiasm. My sincerest thanks to all those who helped me along the way. If my work as a publisher brings others at least some of the pleasure it brings me, I will have achieved something indeed.