"You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me."
— C. S. Lewis
Poetry & Drama
Poems.
London: The Faun Press, 1950. INSCRIBED. Small octavo, pp.[2] 25 [1]. One of just 250 copies. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to the recto of the first leaf: 'To Chloe, remembering in / friendliness and gratitude / many occasions, and the / once that told us that /... More about Poems
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 about Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? A Play
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 about The Rocky Horror Show: Mask of Columbia
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 about The Metropolis. And the Second Part of the Metropolis
Cyder. A Poem in Two Books
London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, 1708. FIRST EDITION. Small, slim octavo pp. 89. Later half brown calf, cloth sides, gilt titles to spine. Engraved frontispiece showing and orchard and workers, woodcut head-pieces and capitals. Light rubbing to extremeties, two holes neatly repaired to title page where a previous owner's name... More about Cyder. A Poem in Two Books
The Interlude of Youth.
London: Gowans and Gray, 1922. ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATED JACKET. Duodecimo. pp. vi, 39. In publisher's paper covers with rice paper jacket illustrated in colour by Jessie M. King. Jacket spine torn; binding very weak. A very fragile little edition - fair overall. More about The Interlude of Youth
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 about Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold
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 about Collected Longer Poems
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 about Collected Shorter Poems
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 about Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers and Other Poems
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 about Whoroscope
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 about The Hostage
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 about State of the Nation: British Theatre since 1945
Sheen and Shade: Lyrical Poems.
London: Hall and Virtue, 1861. VERY SCARCE collection of Lancashire poems. Octavo, pp.viii, 160. Bound in publisher's green textured cloth, with gilt titles to spine, and extra blind tooling to boards. Brown endpapers. Cloth in very good condition with some pale marks to boards. A little worn at endcaps, with... More about Sheen and Shade: Lyrical Poems
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 about The Horkey
![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 about Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs [and] The Farmer's Boy, A Rural Poem
Ghost Walks on Fridays: In and Out of the Stage Door.
London: Heath Cranton, 1935. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.224. With eight photographic plates, including a frontispiece portrait of the author and his wife. In publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine. With original black and white illustrated dust-jacket. Some taped repairs to chipped jacket edges; price-clipped. Very good overall. A.... More about Ghost Walks on Fridays: In and Out of the Stage Door
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 about The Works of Time Bobbin, Esq., in Prose and Verse: with a Memoir of the Author, by John Corry
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 about The Warlock of Love
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 about The Bees of Westerham. A Poem
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 about Varied Verse
Nudes.
New York, NY: The Arts Publisher, 1986. [Art]. INSCRIBED LIMITED EDITION. Quarto (38 x 34cm), Unpaginated, with 21 drawings, etchings, photographs, and chromolithographic reproductions of watercolours by Brandt, and a poem by Guest printed over four leaves at rear. Number 195 of 750 copies, signed by the artist in pencil... More about Nudes
Sonnets from the Portuguese.
London: T. Fisher Unwin, no date [1909]. [Victorian Poetry] LIMITED ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto (28 x 21cm), pp.xxvi; beautifully illuminated sonnets on lithographic plates by Nestore Leoni, with fine embellishment for each of the 44 poems in the cycle, all protected with tissue guards upon which the plain text is also... More about Sonnets from the Portuguese
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 about The Works of.... With introductions by F.G. Kenyon
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 about The Poetical Works of Robert Browning