ANTHONY CONRAN. — Formal Poems. (PRESENTATION COPY, PLUS LETTERS)

Christopher Davies (Publishers) Ltd., Llandybie, 1st Edition, Inscribed by Author(s), First Edition (first printing) of the author's first book - a presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title: "To my dear teacher, Edward Ellis, with love and gratitude, Anthony Conran", and with two signed type-written letters from Conran to Ellis laid-in, plus two (identical) review clippings of the collection (the review penned by Ellis). Slim 8vo. 51pp. Blue boards lettered in silver at the spine. Spine ends rubbed and with just a touch of browning to the opening leaves (issued without free endpapers). A very good copy in lightly tanned, spotted and rubbed dust wrapper, with the original Arts Council wraparound band. Twenty-eight poems, including the first bookform appearance of Conran's prize-winning poem 'For Dylan Thomas' (winner of the 1954 Dock Leaves award, adjudged by Louis MacNeice). Also included are three of the author's 1963 self-published verse pamphlets: 'Icons (Opus 6)', 'Asymptotes (Opus 7)' and 'A String o Blethers (Opus 8)', each in very slightly marked and soiled stapled card wrappers. Tony Conran (1931-2013) was a poet and celebrated Welsh-Anglo translator who studied and later lectured at the English Department of University College of North Wales, Bangor. "Dear Mr. Ellis, Your kindness puts me to shame: I had promised myself that you should have a copy of my book, before anyone. But, you know, the mere labour of selling 350 or thereabouts, which I did to save the publisher from loss, tended to put everything except my account book clean out of my head. I would never have made a shopkeeper, Mr. Ellis. I am at once too careful and too feather-brained! But I have paid the printers, so all is clear sailing. Here is your copy, then, and I hope it will give you pleasure. At least, remembering your instructions on manners, the epigraph from Yeats should surely meet with your approval" - an extract from Conran's first letter (dated September 1960)., Very Good, Very Good