The scarce hardcover edition, signed in the year of publication.

MCGOUGH, Roger ~ Watchwords. Signed by the author.

FIRST UK PRINTING. Jonathan Cape, London: 1969.

8vo., purple-backed cream boards, spine lettered in gilt with publisher's device to foot; in the charismatic pink and white dustwrapper (21s net) with a wraparound design by Leigh Taylor; THE BOOK with slight shelf lean, one small spot to the ffep; else near-fine; THE WRAPPER with a touch of shelf marking, but otherwise also near-fine. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. First UK edition, this copy signed by the author to the title page in the year of publication. A collection of 23 poems on the subject of the 'Swinging Sixties' from the Liverpudlian poet, writer and musician Roger McGough. The author's first solo collection of verse, with two of the poems - 'My Busseductress' and 'Soil' previously published in the third issue of 'Twentieth Century' (1968). This collection contains 'Poem for the opening of Christ the King Cathedral, Liverpool': "...let it be a place/ Where lovers meet after work / for kind words and kisses / Where dockers go of a Saturday night / to get away from the missus." Strongly influenced by the Beats and pop culture of the 1960s, McGough is considered to be one of the leading members of the Liverpool Poets. Born in 1937, he started writing poetry from a young age, before joining the trio 'The Scaffold', where he was able to set his words to music. In 1967 he was published in 'The Mersey Sound', a poetry anthology, alongside Brian Patten and Adrian Henri. The book was a bestseller, and shot McGough to fame. His best-known poems today are perhaps 'Let Me Die a Youngman's Death', and 'Conservative Government Unemployment Figures'. McGough currently presents the BBC Radio 4 programme 'Poetry Please'. This, the uncommon casebound issue, is scarce in commerce.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Near Fine
JACKET: Near Fine