LITERATURE

34 lines of typed text on air mail letter on blue paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Addressed to Malcom at Paisley, Renfrewshire.

1p., 12mo. In stamped envelope addressed by Wood to 'J. T. Baron Esq | 18 Griffin St | Witton | Blackburn'. Writing in 'greatest haste' he explains that he does not know the address of the writer George Macdonald (1824-1905). 'If you address to him at Messrs Isbister & Co 56 Ludgate Hill, the letter will probably reach him'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter is 2pp., 4to, and is written in a playful tone. Escaping the accompanying spoof Steward writes: 'Your remark that Glasgow was as alien to you as Mars got me thinking along the lines of the attached headline . . . . . It would be a good idea for a story if it hadnt been done about three thousand times already (See Robert Bloch (Report on Sol III) and others).

Good firm signature at foot of one side of 13.5 x 8.5cm card. The rest of the page is blank, and the reverse has printed text for a post card. In fair condition, aged and with negligible effect to signature from rectangle of slight browning on card perhaps caused by extended contact with newspaper cutting.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. In envelope addressed by Smith to Owston-Booth at Beckenham in Kent. She thanks her, explaining: 'I very seldom contribute [to] symposiums, and it is not possible for me to do so at present as I am exceedingly busy and am just arranging to go to America'. For the same reason she cannot arrange to see her either.

1p., 4to. In very good condition. He is glad that Malcolm enjoyed 'Billion Year Spree' (subtitled 'The True History of Science Fiction'), 'despite all the random scholarship floating around in every chapter', which was 'designed to silence if not impress all the hostile critics outside the field who seem to think that it is just a stamping ground for the juvenile or the insane'. A few 'family jokes' have been inserted, 'to keep the rest of us amused'.

Each letter 1p., 4to, Bickerstaffe-Drew's on reverse of Wood's. In fair condition, on aged leaf of paper with strip torn from head. The two letters cast an interesting light on English publishing practice in the late nineteenth century. Wood's letter, signed 'J. S. Wood', is written by a secretary, and addressed to 'The Right Rev Mgr Bickerstaff Drew'.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Headed 'Private'. He has 'sincere admiration for Mr. Chesterton as a writer, but he is avowedly a "Mediaevalist" & an opponent of Liberalism & the Liberal party, which he believes to be corrupt & hypocritical'. In consequence it 'puzzles' him that Chesterton 'should be nominated as a Liberal candidate, & with every respect for his zeal, honesty & ability, I really don't know what I could say about him from that point of view.'

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The menu is written out in faint pencil on one side, beneath the letterhead. On the other side, and headed with the date 4 June 1919 is the following playful address: 'Dear Jerrold, | "Carry on"! | This has no reference to the food we have just eaten. | You Walter [pun on 'ought to'] be here because you're a Jerrold [pun on 'dear old'] fellow. | And so say all of us.' Beneath this are nine signatures, two of which are undeciphered.

Ford's first book of verse was 'Sung by the Way', published in Blackburn in 1905. She published several volumes of patriotic poetry: 'Poems of War and Peace' (1915), 'A Crown of Amaranth' (with Erskine Macdonald, 1915), 'Our Heroes' (1916); 'A Fight to a Finish' (1917). Other volumes include 'Lyric Leaves' (1912) and 'The England of my Dream' (1928). She edited the series of 'Little Books of Georgian Verse', 1915-1916. Her 'Lessons in Verse-Craft' was published in 1919 with a second edition in 1923. Her song 'In the Twilight' (1923) was set to music by Harry Brookes.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. She apologises for the delay in writing, explaining: 'my hand has been dreadfully lame, & I have no secretary'. She explains that she has spoken to 'Mr. Craufurd' regarding the cottage, but that there is 'an old lady here, the widow of a farmer, a certain Mrs. Mead, who is supposed by Mr. Craufurd to have a prior claim'. She discusses whether Mrs Mead truly wants the cottage, and the possibility of making alterations to it, ending with remembrances to the recipient's father and mother.

1p., 16mo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium; second leaf attached to card, which carries notes in a Victorian hand. In good condition, lightly aged, but with thin strip cut away at top, presumably carrying details of place of writing. He is sending 'Mr L<?>'s sheets for the Printer', together with the title page, 'which however should not I think be printed off till we see whether he is to add any new matter - as that should be stated'. After stating that he has cut out a diagram, he concludes: 'I have not yet got any proofs'.

Green folder. [4] + iii + 89pp., 4to. Each page on a separate piece of paper, and the whole enclosed in a folder, on which Lister has written his name and address, and 'Prester John | R. P. Lister | 1st Carbon'. In very good condition, lightly aged, in aged and worn folder. With two-page 'Note to the Publisher' and page of 'Contents', the latter with dates pencilled alongside the 25 sections.

32pp., 8vo, pale blue printed wraps, partly detached at spine, some foxing, mainly good. Inscribed, front wrap, "With the Author's Christian love". Several copies listed on WorldCat including main British Libraries. No other copy currently on the market.

584pp., 8vo, utilitarian cloth binding, sl. hinge strain, for the sections as they were published (A-Calvin, Calvin-Fulke,Fulke-Zaccaria), with original wraps of the three original parts bound in, in good+ condition. Small stamp on spine "Trin.Coll. Camb.."His stock has a theological bent, for example the section on BIBLES runs from pp.106 -165, nos.1312-1912, Biblio polyglotta (1586) to Biblia Maxima Versionum ex Linguis Orientalibus (1660).

[51]pp., 8vo, stiff paper wraps, dulled minor wear and tear (small closed tears, for example), contents good. No other copy currently on the market, 6 copies listed on WordldCat (BL and five US/Canadian).

One page, 8vo, fold mark, small closed tears on fold, good condition, pencilled ticks (by Stokes?). "I am in bed, now reading a bit of Ben Johnson [sic] now a bit of 'Moll Flanders", now a bit of [?] & now a bit of Marie Corelli." He anticipates when he'll next be in the "office". New paragrph, "Will you and Mr Moore go through that basket of mine marked "Current" & send off for setting that wghich appeals to you. There is an article on Arthur Machen, which should be cut [...].

Two pages, cr.8vo, fold marks, good condition. Thanks for his letter. "I feel certain that your daughter is an extraordinarily sound judge! But I have also a kind of feeling that I may conceivably be a little prejudiced! I shall await your opinion with faith and hope, trusting that it may be charitable. Seriously I don't want to send you a copy of a work that will only be an encumbrance, but if you do really like it & would care for me to send it either to your daughter or yourself I should be very glad to do so. [...]"

Printed in black on one side of an 8.5 x 13.5 cm piece of blue paper. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with minor creasing to corners. Formerly an insert into a book, a nice piece of ephemera relating to one of the greatest English novels of the nineteenth century. 'Middlemarch' was first published in eight installments between 1871 and 1873, before its first complete publication in book form in 1874. No other copy of this item traced on either OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

On piece of 9 x 14.5 cm card. In fair condition: aged, lightly-stained and with traces of mount adhering to reverse. Reads: 'To | Lord Jeffrey | With Kind regards from | Thos: Hood'.

Watson's translation of 'La Cantatrice Chauve' (1950) was first published in London by Calder in 1958, and his version of 'Le Salon de l'Automobile' (1951) by the same publisher in the fifth volume of Ionesco's plays in 1963. The two scripts typed in uniform style, on rectos of leaves, and stapled together. ONE: 'The Bald Prima Donna'. 19pp., 8vo. In good condition, on aged paper, with somewhat-appropriate child's markings in black ink on blank parts of first page.

In his obituary in the Independent, Lane was described as 'one of those writers whose published oeuvre is only matched by the supreme fiction of their own existence'. The present two pieces, both unpublished, date from his time studying theatre design at Wimbledon Art School, before 'launching himself across the globe, seemingly supported only by his verbal brilliance, good looks, perfect wardrobe and genius to amuse'. ONE: '"ANAGRAMS [no closing quotation mark] | A One Act Play - by Simon Lane'. [3] + 19pp., 8vo. Duplicated typescript on loose leaves held together by paper clip.

16mo. 1p. In fair condition, with slight traces of glue from mount. He has received Dyer's 'parcel p[er] Coach', and informs him that his party is 'expected at Mr. Fry's' on the following day. He is returning with the letter 'all the Books you first forwarded for Mrs Jacksons inspection'.

Four pages, 8vo, bifolium, stab holes, formerly bound among advertising leaves of a periodical presumptively, wear and staining mainly to edges, but text clear and complete. The projectors (particularly James Mill, father of John Stuart Mill) "have long been of the opinion, that a publication devoted to the dissemination of liberal and useful knowledge, on a more comprehensive plan than any which has yet appeared [including] New Discoveries in the Arts and Sciences". No other hard copy of the item has been recorded. The periodical survived from 1830-1806.

2pp., 12mo. 33 lines of text. The first paragraph reads: 'Dear Miss Last: | I'm afraid I can't give you first-hand help on the choice between [Frank] Harris and [Hesketh] Pearson on Wilde - ignorance, madam, sheer ignorance. But I consulted a friend who is interested in Wilde and knows the literature well and he says that you should not accept either without the other, that they each offer views that are necessary for an attempt to get the figure of Wilde in reasonable view.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. With mourning border. In fair condition, on lightly aged and ruckled paper. Declining a dinner invitation and expressing regret at not being able to call, being 'very much occupied'.

[2] + 44pp., 8vo. In lilac paper wraps with title in silver on front cover. Internally in good condition on lightly-aged paper; in worn wraps with creased corner at rear and small square of staining from label on front cover. Inscribed on front pastedown: 'With best wishes | from | Virginia Graham. | 1946.' A charming collection in Grenfell mode, with poems including 'Café Triste' (beginning: 'Miss Tomkinson, do you suppose | That you and I | On this same day next year | Will still be sitting here, | Eating this vegetable pie | Covered white glucose?') and 'V J Day' (beginning: 'Hurray!

Note: Sylvia Lynd, née Dryhurst, poet, novelist, reviewer, significant member of the Book Society, Irish nationalist, daughter of anarchist and suffragette, Nannie Dryhurst (1888-1952).

Note: Sylvia Lynd, née Dryhurst, poet, novelist, reviewer, significant member of the Book Society, Irish nationalist, daughter of anarchist and suffragette, Nannie Dryhurst (1888-1952).

Note: Sylvia Lynd, née Dryhurst, poet, novelist, reviewer, significant member of the Book Society, Irish nationalist, daughter of anarchist and suffragette, Nannie Dryhurst (1888-1952).