SPOTLIGHT: T. S. Eliot

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.“

St Mary’s Books has recently acquired a batch of wonderful books by T. S. Eliot!

Poems 1909-1925

First edition, second impression dated 1926. ‘Second impression’ stated on front cover of jacket. Copyright page reads ‘First published in mcmxxv by Faber and Gwyer Limited, 24 Russell Square, London. Second impression April mcmxxvi…’ Hardback with dust jacket, unclipped. Neat inscription to ffep. Jacket rubbed and lightly to moderately toned. Light shelf wear and chipping. Small loss to spine extremities not affecting the text. Cloth cover near fine with light shelf wear and a small scratch to spine. Light toning and foxing to pages throughout, pages are still relatively bright. Cracking to gutter. Overall very good-/good condition. A nice copy of this iconic book, the first time Eliot published with Faber.

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Ash-Wednesday

First edition second impression dated 1930 hardback clothbound, with gilt tooled vignette and title to cover and gilt tooled title to spine. Top edge gilt to pages. Inscribed ‘From Helen / Xmas 1930’. This belonged to Dame Helen Gardner who was the first woman to be awarded the Merton Professorship of English Literature at Oxford, and the first woman delegate of the Oxford University Press. She wrote many books, including ‘The Art of T. S. Eliot’ and edited many. Light shelf wear to cover, a little faded to extremities. Spine faded. Pages very lightly toned but otherwise clean and bright. Overall very good condition. 21 pp. Sweet book, special because of its association.

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Journey of the Magi

This is Number 8 of The Ariel Poems. First edition first issue, one of only 5000 printed, dated 1927. Pictorial cover and frontispiece. Light rubbing and soiling to cover, faint toning to pages, overall very good condition. In 1925, Eliot became Poetry Editor at Faber and Gwyer Limited. In 1927, Faber asked Eliot to produce one poem each year for a series of illustrated pamphlets with holiday themes to be sent to the firms’ clients and business acquaintances as Christmas greetings of which this is one. This became the Ariel Series.