LARKIN (PHILIP) XX Poems, FIRST AND ONLY EDITION, ONE OF 100 COPIES, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO ...

LARKIN (PHILIP) XX Poems, FIRST AND ONLY EDITION, ONE OF 100 COPIES, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BRUCE MONTGOMERY, the inscription in ink on the dedication leaf 'For Bruce, with enormous respect and liking, from Philip/ iii. 4. mcmli', some foxing and browning mainly at edges, stapled as issued in original printed wrappers, some foxing and staining, preserved along with Batstone Books catalogue (see Provenance) in green cloth solander box with gilt tile label [Bloomfield A4], 4to, [Belfast, Privately Printed for the Author], 1951 Footnotes: PRESENTATION COPY TO BRUCE MONTGOMERY OF LARKIN'S RARE SECOND BOOK OF POETRY, ONE OF 100 COPIES PRIVATELY PRINTED BY THE AUTHOR. Larkin had become friends with Bruce Montgomery, a successful author of crime fiction (under the name of Edmund Crispin) and an accomplished composer, during his last year as an undergraduate at St. John's College, Oxford. 'I sometimes wonder if Bruce did not constitute for me a curious creative stimulus.... and I wrote continuously as never before or since' (Larkin, introduction to Jill, second edition). XX Poems is dedicated to their other great friend from Oxford, Kingsley Amis. 'Most of the copies were sent by the author to prominent literary figures who generally did not acknowledge receipt, insufficient stamps having been put on the envelopes because postage rates had just been raised' (Bloomfield). In a letter to his publisher George Hartley, Larkin wrote that the copies arrived on the 27 April, whilst our inscription, added below the printed dedication, pre-dates that by some three weeks. Provenance: Bruce Montgomery; Batstone Books, undated catalogue titled 'Modern First Editions from the Library of Bruce Montgomery...', no. 70. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • • Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing