Eleven letters, handwritten and signed by Shai (Shmuel Yosef) Agnon, addressed to Ephraim Broido. Jerusalem, 1940s to 1960s. The present letters mostly relate to the publication of Shai Agnon's works in the literary-political monthly journal "Molad" (under the editorship of Ephraim Broido); among other things, there is mention of Agnon's (Hebrew) stories "Me-Hamat HaMetzik" and "Shirat Ha-Otiyot" ("Song of the Letters"), taken from his acclaimed novel "Hakhnassat Kalah" ("The Bridal Canopy"). Agnon also refers to other stories of his in these letters, but does not give their names. In his own inimitable style, Agnon tries to hint that his stories are in no need of being certified by an editor. In another vein, Agnon tries to pressure Broido into publishing his works more expeditiously: "If Molad is to publish ‘Me-Hamat HaMetzik, ' you need to hurry up and see to it that it gets published by Molad in the very near future, lest Mr. [Salman] Schocken beats you to it. " In a brief letter, he recommends the following: " Dear Mr. Broido, if you wish to read a good story, read this story. And if you wish to share the pleasure with our readers, publish it in your Molad. I derived great joy from its charm and quality " (from the context, it is unclear whether Agnon is referring here to one of his own stories, or one by another author). These letters were written mostly when Agnon was in his elderly years. In one of them, he makes an interesting and honest reference to his own advanced age: "My frail eyes and elderly fingers have trouble finding their way […] through the pages of copy editing. Anything you do to ease the burden of proofreading shall be doubly rewarded in the [resulting] quality of the story itself." Other matters addressed in the letters include the standard authors' salary, copy editing and corrections, and references to other authors and critics; among the names mentioned are literary critic Ya'akov Bahat, Dr. Max Mayer (editor of the German-Jewish periodical "Jüdische Rundschau"), Aaron Zeitlin, and Meshulam Tochner. 11 letters (1-3 pp. each; most only a single page in length), size and condition vary. Overall good condition. Stains. Minor creases. Fold lines. Punch holes (some causing minor damage to text). One letter written on postcard. Provenance: "Molad" Archives.