£45
FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR, 8vo, pp. 251, [1]. Original dark brown boards, spine lettered in gilt, colour-printed dustjacket. Dustjacket somewhat creased and rubbed, a little chipped. Inscribed by the author in green ink to title-page ‘Dear John – just published. Almost like the weekly Edgar Wallace. What fertility. What virtuosity. What a nerve. Ever, Neil Bell, Brixham, Ap. 1963’, folded single-sheet letter in same pen to same recipient loosely inserted.
This copy inscribed by prolific author Stephen Southwold, writing here as Neil Bell; he also published as Stephen Green, S.H. Lambert and Paul Miles. In addition to the self-deprecating inscription to the title-page this copy also contains a letter (signed from Stephen) in which he laments the unprofitable nature of writing and complains about his workload - his publisher 'wants to bring out The H[andsome] Langleys as a reprint this year as well as another new novel (after this)'. It seems he succeeded, as 'I Paint Your World' followed later in 1963.
