Stephen Tennant — Leaves from a Missionary&Apos;S Notebook

London, Secker & Warburg, 1929 . First edition. Cloth. The beautifully illustrated and scarce first trade edition of Stephen Tennant's highly amusing work on the adventures faced by a missionary sent to the tropics. The scarce first trade edition of this work, which was initially published in a limitation of only 125 copies.In the publisher's original unclipped dust wrapper.Stephen Tennant, a British aesthete, socialite and member of the 'Bright Young Things', known for his extravagant lifestyle and literary ambitions, authored this collection of whimsical and satirical reflections presented in the style of a missionary's observations.Tennant plays with the conventions of colonial-era missionary reports, offering book offers surreal, poetic, and often absurd musings, with homoerotic subtext.Illustrated throughout by Tennant himself.Although date of publication for this work is always given as 1929, it is believed that it was not published until 1937: 'Due to various problems, Stephen"s book was not published until 1937, by Secker & Warburg', ('Serious Pleasures: The Life of Stephen Tennant' by Philip Hoare, Penguin, 1992). In the publisher's original cloth binding, with unclipped dust wrapper. Light shelf wear and a touch of fading to back strip tail, with minor bump to back strip head. Significant loss and large closed tear to head of front wrap of dust wrapper, repaired with clear adhesive tape to the reverse. Significant closed tear at head of fold over front joint, repaired with age toned tape. Minor losses to dust wrapper back strip head and tail, with clear adhesive tape repair to reverse. Horizontal closed tear to back strip centre, repaired to reverse. Internally, firmly bound. Pages exceptionally bright, with instances of spotting. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: Stephen Tennant. Very Good Indeed/Good.