FANTASY

[‘‘F. Anstey’, pseudonym of the English humorist Thomas Anstey Guthrie.] Autograph Letter Signed (‘Anstey Guthrie’) to J. G. Wilson, proprietor of the London booksellers J. & E. Bumpus.

Author: 
‘F. Anstey’, pseudonym of the English humorist Thomas Anstey Guthrie (1856-1934) [John Gideon Wilson (1876-1963), proprietor of the prestigious London booksellers J. & E. Bumpus.]
Publication details: 
31 October 1931. On letterhead of 24 Holland Park Road, Kensington, W. [London]
£80.00

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, on the first leaf of bifolium. (There are extensive pencil annotations in a later hand on the second leaf.) Very neatly written. Addressed to ‘J. G. Wilson Esqre.’ and signed ‘Anstey Guthrie’. He has ‘much pleasure’ in answering Wilson’s question. ‘‘Shut Out’ is a short story of mine which was published in Longmans Magazine about 1895 or 6, afterwards included in a volume of short stories under the title of “The Talking Horse”. I think published by Messrs. Smith & Elder - but now long out of print.

[Francis Vivian, writer of popular fiction, author of the Inspector Knollis mysteries.] Typed Letter Signed to Eileen Cond, assessing his books and giving a synopsis of forthcoming story ‘The Frog was Yellow’.

Author: 
Francis Vivian [pen name of Arthur Ernest Ashley (1906-1979), writer of popular fiction, author of the Inspector Knollis mysteries, brother of photographer Hallam Ashley [Eileen Cond]
Publication details: 
11 November 1939; The Chalet, Skegby, Mansfield.
£120.00

An excellent letter to enthusiastic autograph collector Eileen Margaret Cond (1911-1984). It shows Cond’s ability to draw a more than perfunctory response from her targets. 1p, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and folded for postage. Signed ‘Francis Vivian’. He is ‘very grateful’ for her ‘appeciation of my book, The Three Short Men. I have to confess that I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, even though both Pam and Hathersage at times refused to obey my orders, and went their own sweet way.

[Charles Nodier, French Romantic supernatural author.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Charles Nodier'), in French, explaining to an unnamed count that his friend and protégé 'M. Leharivel' is not eligible for membership of the Academie Française.

Author: 
Charles Nodier [Jean Charles Emmanuel Nodier] (1780-1844), French Romantic author of fantastic and supernatural tales, Librarian of Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, Member of the Académie Française
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£250.00

1p, 12mo. Seventeen lines of closely written text. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, laid down on a leaf from an album. The recipient is not named, but is addressed as 'Monsieur le Comte'. The letter concerns the count's 'ami et protégé' 'M. Leharivel' [author of 'Grammaire Francaise Pasigraphique, Simplifiee Et Regularisee, Pour Servir de Base Fondamentale; Et Anecdotes, Et Contes Historiques (1839) ].

[Barry Pain, writer.] Autograph Letter Signed [to James Payn, editor of the Cornhill Magazine], discussing the reception of his breakthrough story 'The Hundred Gates', the next story he has planned, and the pressures of his teaching work.

Author: 
Barry Pain [Barry Eric Odell Pain] (1864-1928), writer of light verse and humorous stories, and horror and fantasy fiction [James Payn (1830-1898), editor of the Cornhill Magazine]
Publication details: 
5 October 1889; Edgeborough, Guildford, Surrey.
£180.00

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Fifty-one lines of text in a close neat hand, the last page written lengthwise. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of white paper mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded once. The letter is signed 'Barry Pain'. The recipient is not named, but is James Payn, editor of the Cornhill Magazine, who had just published the story that made Pain's name, 'The Hundred Gates'.

[Edgar Jepson, popular novelist; .] Autograph Letter Signed ('Edgar Jepson'), replying to a fan letter from 'Miss Gowing' [novelist Barbara Kaye] by suggesting that they meet to prevent him from injuring his constitution by 'industrious excess'

Author: 
Edgar Jepson [Edgar Alfred Jepson, pseudonym 'R. Edison Page'] (1863-1938), popular author of adventure, detective, supernatural and fantasy fiction [Barbara Kaye [Barbara Kenrick Gowing] (1908-1998)]
Publication details: 
120 Adelaide Road, Chalk Farm, London NW3. 8 July 1920.
£120.00

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Folded once.

[Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis.] Proof Copy: 'Arthurian Torso Containing the Posthumous Fragment of The Figure of Arthur by Charles William and a Commentary on the Arthurian Poems of Charles Williams by C. S. Lewis Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford'

Author: 
Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis [The Inklings, Oxford University; J. R. R. Tolkien]
Publication details: 
London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford University Press. 1948.
£1,500.00

[8] + 200pp, 8vo. In light-brown wraps with title repeated on front cover. Worn, on aged paper, with the upper back few leaves dogeared, and spotting at foot of first few leaves. The present proof must in some regard differ from the published version, whose various listings on COPAC give it 200pp, rather than the 199pp here. Lewis's two-page 'Introductory' concludes with a vivid picture of the Inklings: 'The first two chapters had been read aloud by the author to Professor Tolkien and myself.

[ Louis Tracy, writer of fiction who collaborated with M. P. Shiel. ] Autograph Note Signed ('Louis Tracy') to autograph hunter Montague Ball.

Author: 
Louis Tracy [ pseudonyms 'Gordon Holmes' and 'Robert Fraser'] (1863-1928), journalist and writer of fiction who collaborated with fantasy writer M. P. Shiel
Publication details: 
On letterhead of Fairlawn, Whitby, Yorkshire. 23 July 1914.
£50.00

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He writes: 'Dear Mr Montague Ball: - | I am very pleased to have your kind wishes & appreciation. | Yours very sincerely | Louis Tracy'.

[ Heather Bigg to A. C. Benson, with inscribed book. ] Inscribed copy of his poem 'Nell. A Tale of the Thames', with Autograph Letter Signed ('Heather Bigg') to Benson, thanking him for going through the proofs of the book.

Author: 
Heather Bigg, F.R.C.S. [ Henry Robert Heather Bigg ] (1853-1911); A. C. Benson (1862-1925), Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge ]
Publication details: 
New Edition. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner, and Co., Ltd. 1901. Inscription dated November 1901.
£200.00

ONE: Letter. 1 November 1901. On letterhead of 56 Wimpole Street, London. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition. With blank reverse of second leaf laid down onto a flyleaf of the book. Benson is not named, but is without doubt the recipient.

[ C. K. Jaeger ('Karel Jaeger'), fantasy writer. ] Unpublished typescripts of two fantasy novels, '"The Autobiography of a Flea" or A Kind of Memoir' and 'Letters from an Oyster Bed'.

Author: 
C. K. Jaeger [ Cyril Karel Stuart Jaeger] (1912-2008), fantasy and children's writer under the name 'Karel Jaeger', friend and landlord of Fitzrovia writer Julian Maclaren-Ross (1912-1964)
Publication details: 
Both composed in Elmer, West Sussex, in 1955.
£850.00

The colourful life of the 'deeply eccentric Bradford-born writer' Jaeger is the subject of a good obituary in the Scotsman, 2 October 2008. In his youth Jaeger was adopted by Lady Margaret Sackville, and moved in Edinburgh high society. While studying at Montpelier University he developed a close friendship with the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. While living in Bognor Regis he made the acquaintance of Julian Maclaren-Ross, with whom he sampled the wares of Fitzrovia.

Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent.

Author: 
P.G. Konody.
Publication details: 
26 York Terrace, N.W.1, 25 April 1933.
£95.00

Art critic. Two pages, 8vo, good condition. He informs his correspondent of his belief that S.H. Sime, illustrator and artist, is still alive [in fact died 1941 re. George Locke]. H e runs obver the main events of Sime's life getting a small fortune, starting life as a coal miner, "fantastic imagination", "Pick-me-up", art editor of "The Idler", collaboration with Arthur Lawrence, Dunsany books, blossome as a painter, retirement from "life and publicity, rappeared at the St George's Gallery. Konody then lost sight of him.

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