A BEASTLY BUSINESS

First edition, first printing. Publisher's variant binding of blue rexine with gilt titles to the spine, in the Barbara Walton illustrated dustwrapper. A near fine copy, the binding square and tight, bright and fresh. The contents, lightly toned to the page edges and with a touch of spotting to the pastedowns, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the bright original dustwrapper that has some spotting to the flap edges and is otherwise without fading, loss or tears. Not price-clipped (£7.50 net to the lower front flap).

One of John Blackburn's rarest books in first edition. The publisher were primarily library suppliers meaning the vast majority of the seemingly tiny print run went into the public library system. This example whilst in the publisher's stronger 'library' binding escaped that fate. Centipede Press, stating the first edition 'unobtainable', reprinted the novel in a (sold out) limited edition in 2020.