Williamson, Henry ~ Tarka The Otter : His Joyful Water–Life & Death in the Country of the Two Rivers : Inscribed and Doodled by the Author : With ‘The Tribute To Henry Williamson’ By Ted Hughes – The Limited Edition Signed By Ted Hughes

The Chiswick Press, London : 1927

Williamson, Henry ~ Tarka The Otter : His Joyful Water - Life & Death in the Country of the Two Rivers The First Issue, privately printed for subscribers by The Chiswick Press, London in 1927. Number ’17' of only 100 copies issued. Inscribed by the author to the limitation page : ‘for Christopher a Beckett Williams (Old Half-Wit) from Henry Williamson'. Additionally, the author has penned in ink a small owl doodle next to the inscription. A lovely copy in Very Good++ or better condition with just a little bowing of the vellum boards, as usually encountered. Some very light spotting to the boards and internally in a few places. Morocco label to the spine is lightly rubbed but the gilt tilting remains bright. Upper edge gilt. A much sharper copy than usually encountered. The recipient Christopher a Beckett Williams (‘Kit’) (1890-1956) was an author and composer, and a friend of Williamson. The pair had gone skiing to the Pyrenees in 1929 before later falling out. The publishing history of Tarka the Otter is extensive, and complicated with various editions and numerous re-printings, some with only small changes in the text (Hugoe Matthews’ Henry Williamson: A Bibliography devotes nineteen pages to this book). The book first appeared as this limited subscription edition of 100 copies bound in full vellum, privately published, printed by the prestigious Chiswick Press, in August 1927, priced three guineas. This was followed by a further limited edition of 1000 copies published by G.P. Putnam & Sons, also printed by Chiswick Press, bound in half brown cloth/cream buckram, later in October 1927, priced one guinea. (Henry Williamson Society). 'Tarka the Otter' was awarded the Hawthornden Prize for Literature in 1928 and is considered one of the great classics of English literature. With a copy of the Tribute that Ted Hughes gave at the service of thanksgiving for Henry Williamson’s at St Martin’s in the Field on 1 December 1977. This was published by The Rainbow Press in 1979 in a limited edition of only 200 copies signed by Ted Hughes. This copy is in Fine condition. The innate poetic element in Williamson’s writing was recognised by Ted Hughes (Poet Laureate) in this tribute, stating that he ‘had read Tarka the Otter when aged eleven, and for the next year read little else. I count it one of the great pieces of good fortune in my life. . . . I recognised even then that it is something of a holy book, a soul-book, written with the life blood of an unusual poet. . . . In the confrontations of creature and creature, of creature and object, of creature and fate – he made me feel the pathos of actuality in the natural world. . . .It is not usual to consider him as a poet. But I believe he was one of the truest English poets of his generation.’. A handsome production and increasingly elective.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good++