"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde
Poetry & Drama
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? A Play.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1962. [Drama] UK PROOF COPY. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[10] 242 [4]. Publisher's pink monogrammed card wraps with a type-written label showing title, price and testimonials pasted to front cover. Very light wear and sunning to spine; some marks to edges. Near fine. More
The Rocky Horror Show: Mask of Columbia.
Los Angeles: Michael White Productions, n.d. [1974]. EPHEMERA FROM ROCKY HORROR SHOW U.S. OPENING. Card cut out mask of Columbia, approximately 26cm x 19cm with removable eyes and mouth, printed with production notes printed on the rear. Produced as a promotional item for the U.S. opening at the Roxy Theatre..... More
The Metropolis. And the Second Part of the Metropolis.
Dublin: John Barlow, 1805 and 1806. SECOND EDITION. Duodecimo. pp. 69, 87. In recent marbled paper-covered boards with navy titles to cream paper label on spine. Top right corner of title page to part two damaged and repaired. Text unaffected. Otherwise a near-fine example in an attractive new binding. An..... More
Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold.
London: Macmillan, 1913. [Poetry]. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[xii]; 510. Riviere binding of contemporary brown half morocco over purple cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt title and extra gilt to spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Presentation note to "Miss D.M. Lapage", the commandant of the Kent 142 Volunteer Ambulance..... More
The Voice of Poetry (1930-1950) An Anthology.
London: Evans Brothers, 1950. [Poetry Anthology] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.xliv; 249 [1]. Publisher's black cloth, with formerly-gilt titles (now oxidised) to spine, grey typographic dust-jacket, priced at 8/6. With a publisher's flyer loosely inserted. Some rubbing and marks to cloth; titles oxidised. Jacket lightly browned to spine..... More
Collected Longer Poems.
London: Faber and Faber, 1968. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION THUS. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.356. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, typographic dust-jacket, repriced by Faber at £2.50 net with a sticker over the original printed price of 45s / £2.25 net. First and last leaves faintly creased at the..... More
Collected Shorter Poems.
London: Faber and Faber, 1966. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION THUS. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.351; [1], blank. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, typographic dust-jacket. Gift inscription to flyleaf, price inked out, jacket very lightly handled; near fine. More
Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers and Other Poems.
Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1870. [Poetry] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED, a later edition. Quarto (26 x 19cm), pp.[12]; 268. With frequent wood engraved vignettes by the Patons. Contemporary green full morocco by R. and A. SUTTABY of London, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and gilt..... More
![En Attendant Godot [Waiting For Godot]. Samuel BECKETT](/pictures/thumb/54808.jpg?v=1569253767)
En Attendant Godot [Waiting For Godot].
Paris: Les Editions De Minuit, 1952. [Drama] FIRST TRADE EDITION. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.163; [1], blank; [1], note; [3], blank. White card covers printed in black and blue, advertisements for 'Malloy' and 'Malone Meurt' to rear cover, with photo of the author. Title and rear leaves unopened (uncut edges)..... More
Whoroscope.
Paris: The Hours Press, 1930. FIRST EDITION of the author's first separately published work, EX LIBRIS DENNIS HEALEY. pp.[ii]; 4; [2], notes. Number 37 of 100 copies SIGNED by the author. Original russet-coloured printed card covers with wraparound paper band, announcing the young author as prize-winner of a contest sponsored..... More
Fairies and Fancies.
London: A. and C. Black, 1929. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Small quarto (24 x 18cm), pp.x; 67 [1]. With 8 half-tone colour plates by Broman, including a frontispiece, as well as numerous further black and white illustrations. Publisher's blue quarter cloth with gilt titles to spine and marbled paper over..... More
The Hostage.
London: Methuen and Co. Ltd., 1958. [Modern Drama] FIRST EDITION of the play in book form. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.92. Publisher's black cloth lettered in gilt to spine, photographic dust-wrapper priced at 10/6. Top edge dusty, jacket with a few chips and tears, sunned to spine; very good... More
State of the Nation: British Theatre since 1945.
London: Faber and Faber, 2007. [Theatre] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.viii; 435; [5]. With a suite of four double-sided colour photographic plates. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: "For Edward | Best Wishes | Michael Billington | 19th November 2007". Publisher's orange cloth..... More
The Horkey.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1882. [Children's illustrated] ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE CRUICKSHANKS (the younger). Slim quarto (25 x 21cm), pp.48. Printed with colour illustrations to every page. Illustrated paper-covered boards, green cloth spine, all edges green. Blind stamp of W.H. Smith Library to flyleaf, some toning and light spotting. Boards rubbed..... More
![Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs [and] The Farmer's Boy, A Rural Poem. Robert BLOOMFIELD](/pictures/thumb/49899.jpg?v=1512736293)
Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs [and] The Farmer's Boy, A Rural Poem.
Paris: Parsons and Galignani, 1804. [Poetry]. FINELY BOUND, early editions, two volumes bound as one. Octavo (16 x 10cm), pp.75-146 [2]; pp.74 [4]. With an etched vignette title page for each volume. In contemporary marbled boards, recently re-backed in light brown calf with black titles to cream paper label on..... More
The Works of Time Bobbin, Esq., in Prose and Verse: with a Memoir of the Author, by John Corry.
Rochdale: J. Westall, 1819. PROVINCIAL IMPRINT. Octavo, pp.[4], 4, 494 [2]. With 11 copper engraved plates including a frontispiece portrait of the author. In near-contemporary light brown full calf with raised bands, gilt titles to green label on spine, and gilt decoration to spine. All edges and endpapers marbled. Spine..... More
The Warlock of Love.
No place [Printed in Plymouth]: Lupus Music, 1969. [Psychedelic verse] FIRST EDITION. Slim octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.64. Publisher's photographic hardcovers in dust-jacket. A notoriously fragile production- this copy has a little dustiness to top edge but is essentially fine. Uncommon thus. Chameleon songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan went through..... More
The Bees of Westerham. A Poem.
Beckenham: Printed and Published by the Author, September 1952. [Kent Poetry] INSCRIBED PRIVATE PRESS. Octavo pamphlet (19 x 16cm), pp.[4] 18. INSCRIBED by the author on a headed note card in blue ink: 'To wish Mr. and Mrs. | Wadey long and happy | years together - a belated |..... More
Varied Verse.
London and Tunbridge Wells: The Reliance Press, no date [1925]. [Kent and Sussex Poetry] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.63 [1]. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: 'To Major Heron, with the author's | kindred regards & in remembrance | of many a hearty..... More
![Letters of Fanny Brawne to Fanny Keats [1820-1824]. Fanny BRAWNE, Fred EDGCUMBE, Maurice Buxton...](/pictures/thumb/55412.jpg?v=1578588126)
Letters of Fanny Brawne to Fanny Keats [1820-1824].
London: Oxford University Press, 1939. [Literary Correspondence] NEW EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.xxviii; 77 [3]. With four illustrated plates including a frontispiece. Publisher's brown cloth with red titles to spine and publisher's device to upper. Top edge red, others untrimmed. With the plain dust-jacket printed in red, priced at..... More
The Works of.... With introductions by F.G. Kenyon.
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1912. Centenary edition. Limited to 276 sets for the US, of which this is number 244. Printed on antique laid paper, with sepia-toned portrait frontispiece in each volume. 10 volumes. Handsomely bound in the 'West End' style in dark blue half morocco, gilt on spine..... More
The Poetical Works of Robert Browning.
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1896. [Poetry] LETTERS FROM THE AUTHOR. In two volumes. Octavo. Bound in publisher's green cloth, with gilt motif to front board and gilt titles to spine; top edge gilt. Portrait frontispieces to both volumes. Accompanied by Robert Browning's dried buttonhole decoration from June '86, preserved..... More
The Poetical Works of Robert Browning.
London: John Murray, 1919. Two vols. Octavo. Bound by Riviere in half brown morocco over brown cloth boards, with raised bands and gilt titles to spine; top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Portrait frontispieces to both volumes. Bindings show well, with bumping to corners, joints rubbed, rear joint of volume two..... More
John Clare and Picturesque Landscape.
Oxford: the Clarendon Press, 1983. [Literary Criticism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xii; 158 [2]. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. Light blue endpapers. With the illustrated dust-jacket titled in red and black. Light spotting to edges. Jacket a little bruised and rubbed, with a closed tear..... More