£450
FIRST EDITION, THE AUTHOR’S OWN COPY, 8vo, pp. 26. Original oversized textured green wrappers printed in burgundy. A little soiled, wrappers chipped and splitting to ends of spine fold. Ownership inscription of Edwin Morgan to title-page, small booklabel of Carl MacDougall to inside front wrapper.
The first edition of Morgan's first book, which includes a translation from the Russian of Maxim Gorky and the title poem, a mythopoetic fantasy in which John Knox, William McGonagall, Jenny Geddes and Lauren Bacall (among others) parade before the poet in a Glasgow park. Scarce in trade, Library Hub records 6 copies, 5 of which in Scotland.
This copy has the author's signature on the title-page in the top corner, a characteristic place for his ownership inscription as well as an unusual spot to sign a book; it was later in the collection of Scottish author Carl MacDougall (1941-2023).
