This is an abridged version from Dipika (summer 1980) of how Light on Yoga was accepted for publication by Allen & Unwin.
By Beatrice Harthan
Beatrice Harthan was a lawyer who worked at the Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Prisoners’ fund at the Old Bailey. She received an MBE for her work. In the Iyengar yoga world she is known for her crucial role in getting Light on Yoga published. B.K.S. Iyengar was eternally grateful.
This is an extract from a letter to her: ”I am grateful to you. But for you I would not have come in contact with Mr.Yorke. You are the instrument really for this book to take that shape. Much credit and merit of this book goes to you.”
Beatrice Harthan, left
Several pupils enquire as to how Light on Yoga was born so, after paying homage to the revered author, I will try to relate how it was ‘delivered’ to us.
In the summer of 1962 Angela Marris (who always went to Gstaad, Switzerland for the Menuhin Festival) offered to take us with her because Mr. Iyengar would be there and would be teaching Mr. Menuhin. We spent a great deal of time with Mr.Iyengar between concerts and in the evenings and so got to know him very well. It was at this time that some chapters of his promised book were ready and, in our hotel, we typed the first chapters on a typewriter with German letters and I brought the pages back to England to type out properly.
I arrived early on a Saturday morning and immediately telephoned the Buddhist Society to get details of their Summer School at High Leigh. I managed to get a lift with a friend who was going for the final lecture that day. In my briefcase were some photographs and the manuscript which I took with me to show to Dr. Carmen Blacker who was going to the lecture. (Carmen Blacker was a Japanese scholar who had worked in her early years as a code breaker at Bletchley Park, ed).
Arriving late, I sat in a vacant seat in the front row next to Mr. Gerald Yorke (whose name you will all know in connection with Light on Yoga). He whispered to me “Why have you not been here sooner?” I replied that I had been with my yoga teacher in Gstaad. He asked who it was, I told him and he then said:
“I’m looking for a new serious yoga book to replace Theos Bernard whose book has been in circulation for about 15 years.”
(Theos Bernard was an American author who wrote about yoga and Tibetan Buddhism, ed.) I then told him Mr. Iyengar was writing one and I was invited to have coffee with him during the lecture interval when I showed him the actual material I had with me. He got excited about it and told me to type it on a proper machine and take it to him the following Tuesday at his London flat. This I did and gave him Mr. Iyengar’s address. Thus started a warm relationship between them. He wrote to Mr. Iyengar and I also wrote enthusiastically and it was arranged that he would meet Mr. Yorke on his next London visit.
BKS Iyengar with the original Light on Yoga
By 1963 most of the book was ready and Mr. Yorke decided to recommend it for publication. Of course, Mr. Iyengar has always acknowledged his debt to Mr. Yorke for “touching up the English” and making any suitable suggestions that were usually adopted. Mr. Iyengar’s brotherly devotion to Mr. Yorke has remained constant and his advice is always greatly appreciated.
Editor’s notes:
Beatrice Harthan was a lawyer who worked at the Sheriffs’ and Recorder’s Prisoners’ fund at the Old Bailey. She received an MBE for her work. In the Iyengar yoga world she is known for her crucial role in getting Light on Yoga published. B.K.S. Iyengar was eternally grateful. This is an extract from a letter to her: ”I am grateful to you. But for you I would not have come in contact with Mr.Yorke. You are the instrument really for this book to take that shape. Much credit and merit of this book goes to you.” She was a member of the Asian Music Circle in London which first brought Guruji to teach in the UK.
Peter Yorke was an agent for publishers Rider and Co as well as Allen and Unwin. He was struck by the manuscript of LOY but most of all he admired the lucidity of the photos. His editing of the text was often severe and B.K.S. Iyengar compared him to his guru Krishnamacharya. In his introduction to LOY he had to cut most philosophical and traditional references to ancient Indian texts because Yorke believed that his book would sell better if it was more of a manual than yet another philosophical book. Iyengar conceded and history was made. He often called Yorke his ‘literary guru’.
Angela Marris was one of Guruji’s first students in the UK. She was the secretary of the Asian Music Circle and a lifelong friend.
I am especially grateful to John Ferrabee who collects first editions of LOY. He kindly provided us with a very rare cover page of a 1965 edition. The official UK and international publication date is 1966 but the contract with BKS Iyengar was already signed in 1964.
Korinna Pilafidis Williams
Rare edition
This article is taken from Dipika, The Iyengar Yoga London Maida Vale Journal, Issue No. 48,
July 2016.
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