Mervyn Peake — Shapes & Sounds

London, Chatto & Windus, 1941 . First edition. Cloth. The first edition of Mervyn Peake"s first collected volume of poetry, one of 1,000 copies issued, complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper. In the  publisher's original quarter cloth binding with paper boards. First edition.  Issued in a limited first edition of 1,000 copies, 500 copies were initially bound in October 1941, with the remaining stock sold by March 1942; a further 250 copies were bound from sheets in 1945. Complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper.  The first collected volume of poetry by Mervyn Peake, published five years before Titus Groan. The collection comprises twenty-four poems, including The Cocky Walkers, Rhondda Valley and Palais de Danse, and brings together both previously published work and new poems. In the publisher's original quarter cloth binding with paper boards. Externally, very smart. Minor rubbing and bumping to extremities, more pronounced to lower corners. Very faint discolouration to perimeters of boards with one or two very minor marks and spots. Ownership inscription to head of front free endpaper alongside previous bookseller's blind stamp. Slight offsetting and spotting to rear free endpapers. Dust wrapper, generally smart. Slight loss to head and tail. Loss to extremities of rear wrap towards joint. Slight edge wear resulting in the odd small crease, chip and closed tear. Wraps slightly age toned with light scattered spotting and faint soiling. Discreet tape repairs to reverse of spine. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean if slight age toned. Light scattered spotting to first and last few leaves. The odd lightspot to fore edge and gutters. Very Good . Ill.: Mervyn Peake. Very Good/Very Good.