TWENTIETH

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with the top part of the blank reverse pasted onto a slip of paper cut from an album. Adressed to 'Miss Constance M. Evans, | Raventhorpe, | Carmel Road N., | Darlington.' She begins by stating that Evans's letter has been forwarded to her by Julian Herbage.

The letters are in fair condition, lightly aged; the card is discoloured and stained. Loosely inserted in a copy of Williams's 'Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury', 75 + [1]pp, 8vo, with the ownership signature 'Christopher Fry' on the front free endpaper, in worn binding with fraying at head of spine. Delightful and revealing letters, mixing personal and business (Williams worked for the Oxford University Press and Fry was published by them). ONE: ALS from Southfield House, 17 December 1941. 2pp, 12mo. Thirty lines of closely-written text, on a leaf of ruled paper torn from a notebook.

115pp, 12mo. In good condition: sound and tight, on browning War Economy paper, in green cloth with slight bloom, and in slightly worn and chipped browning dustwrapper. (The subtitle 'A Play in Three Acts' features on the dustwrapper, but not on the title-page.) Fry's ownership inscription 'Christopher Fry' is in blue ink at the top right-hand corner of the recto of the front free endpaper. A verse drama from the library of the leading twentieth-century English exponent of the genre, after T. S. Eliot.

55pp, 8vo. In fair condition, internally tight and sound, on browning paper, in lightly-worn blue cloth binding. No dustwrapper. Slight dink at head of spine. Ownership inscription 'Christopher Fry' in blue ink at top right-hand corner of recto of front free endpaper. Fry and Williams were on cordial terms, the latter working for Oxford University Press and the former being published by them.

[12]pp, 8vo. Paginated to 14, but twelve pages on six leaves, comprising half-title, title and eight pages of text. Sewn into raspberry printed wraps. Title with engraving of the church, duplicated on front cover. Internally in fair condition, with slight creasing, but with blue ink (or wine?) stain at foot of outer edge of front cover. Bloomfield & Mendelson A46, which states that the edition was printed in November 1963 and limited to 250 copies, 'sent out to a number of personal friends whose names were mainly suggested by Mrs. MacNeice'. In this case, from the library of Christopher Fry.

On 10 x 6 cm slip of laid paper cut from an album, with partial ruled border in pink and blue. In good condition, lightly aged. A good firm signature, reading 'Randolph S. Churchill.' No other writing on the same side; with signature of 'Geoffrey H. Crump' on the reverse.

'Face to Face', consisting of interviews of notable figures by John Freeman, was a television milestone, and Birkett's was the first interview in the series, broadcast on 4 February 1959. As Burnett recalled in his book of the series: 'Lord Birkett was the first guest on FACE TO FACE. It was a live transmission, as were most FACE TO FACE broadcasts, and much of the character and success of the whole new series depended on his candour and co-operation. We plotted together as we had often done in the past. He enjoyed broadcasting and he liked the challenge of attempting something new.

For the context of the letter see Pamela M. King's 2007 paper 'Twentieth-Century Medieval-Drama Revivals and the Universities', which states that at the time of the writing, there was in Canterbury 'to be a new play by Robert Gittings about St Alphege and the Danish invasion entitled Makers of Violence', and that at the Pilgrim Players in Norwich planned to put on, at the church of St Peter Mancroft, a production of Fry's 'Sleep of Prisoners'. 2pp, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with a little light damp spotting. Folded once.

JJohn Freeman's interview with Jomo Kenyatta was broadcast on 26 November 1961 in the BBC TV series 'Face to Face'. The present duplicated typescript of the interview is from the papers of the programme's producer Hugh Burnett, and is edited for publication in the book 'Face to Face | Edited and introduced by Hugh Burnett' (London: Jonathan Cape, 1964). 1p., foolscap 8vo. Headed 'JOMO KENYATTA', otherwise consisting entirely of the transcript, with no other details.

Both 1p, 8vo, and each in fair condition, on aged paper, with creasing along one edge. The first letter with smudged date of receipt in one corner. The first letter signed 'Paddy Carstairs', the second 'John Paddy Carstairs'. ONE: Begins: 'Dear Miss Greenwood | What can I possibly say? I am “set” for my next pic, but always want very unique stories – who doesn't?! | In 22 years (nearly!) I've only sold 3 originals for the screen and none of my novels – you see, there aren't any rules'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Folded once. Signed 'Rafael Sabatini'. After thanking her for her letter of sympathy, he notes: 'In the past I have had plenty of cause for complaint, but nothing quite so flagrant.' He has been 'avenged by the Press, which described the unutterable scenario from which the film was made in terms similar to those which I employed when I requested that my name be removed from the “author credits”'. He ends with good wishes to her 'laudable enterprise'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. Signed, over a red 'Postage Revenue' 2d stamp: 'Alfredo Compoli. | August 13th. 1947'. Above this the receip, in Compoli's autograph, reads: 'Received £500 (five hundred pounds) in full, (£200 deposit – and £250 in cash – also cheque value £50 (dated August 11th. 1947) for Sale of Music Library (Salon Orchestra, & Trio)'. Accompanying the document is an unsigned autograph receipt on a worn slip of white paper, reading: 'April 28th. 1947 | Received, from Jack Salisbury Esq.

1p, 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, folded twice. He does not have a copy of his book 'Flying Eggs', but intends 'to order a few. Since computerization, ordering is a longwinded business, but there's reasonable hope they'd arrive before the Christmas post.' He gives instruction concerning payment and postage. He makes a suggestion if McPherson should 'at any point in the future [be] tempted to buy my first book of short stories, PENNINE TALES' (go for the paperback which is cheaper and 'much better edited').

All three 1p, landscape 12mo. All in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: 9 December 1974. He thanks him for 'the invitation […] But as I'm teaching full-time here now, this would be very difficult to arrange as far as schools visits would be concerned. (I asked the Arts Council to take my name off the schools list, but they don't seem to have done so).' He suggests a 'reading during the holiday break, perhaps. One aimed principally at adults, I mean.' The 'London Poetry Secretariat/Arts Council link-up' might 'provide some kind of subsidy'.

De la Mare's definitive answer to the oft-asked question regarding the meaning of his best-known poem - and also one of the most celebrated English poems of the twentieth century - 'The Listeners'. 1p, 4to, in good condition, lightly aged, folded twice. After thanking her for her 'kind letter', he adds: 'I am afraid you may not find my answer to your question a very satisfactory one.

1p., 4to. The salutation 'My dear Rowe,' and the valediction 'Yours sincerely | Hugh Gaitskell' are in Gaitskell's autograph, written in red ink; the rest of the letter is typed. Aged and worn, with discoloration and a small insect crushed onto a blank part. Reads: 'Many thanks for your kind Christmas note and good wishes.

Sequeira was born in Aldgate. In the years following his service in the London Regiment during the First World War, he acted in Shakespeare at the Old Vic, and he would continue as an actor into the age of film and television. In addition to acting Sequeira taught (including a youthful Peter Cushing) at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, painted, and in 1953 published a book on stage make-up. The present four items, all undated, are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Autograph duologue titled 'Seeing the Coronation'. 5pp., foolscap 8vo. With revised conclusion, 1p., 12mo.

32pp., 12mo. In blue-green card wraps with light blue-green printed label on front cover. In very good condition. Twenty-four poems in the Georgian idiom, some of which had previously appeared in Country Life, Chamber's Journal, Observer, Harper's Bazaar abd the Glasgow Herald.. Now uncommon. Six copies on COPAC.

32pp., 12mo. In blue-green card wraps with light blue-green printed label on front cover. In good condition, lightly aged. Florid ownership inscription in thick black ink at front: 'Margaret (Sackville) | to | Henrietta | with love | 1936.' A question mark has been deleted in one poem, presumably by Sackville. Twenty-four poems in the Georgian idiom, some of which had previously appeared in Country Life, Chamber's Journal, Observer, Harper's Bazaar abd the Glasgow Herald. Now uncommon. Six copies on COPAC.

28pp., 12mo. In printed blue-green card wraps. Shaken and aged, in worn wraps. Eleven poems in the Georgian idiom, eight of which, according to a note by the author, had previously been published by 'Messrs. Lewis' in 'The Lyrical Woodland'. From Sackville's own papers, and including some pencil markings, presumably by her, including the emendation of 'blank' for 'dank' and 'the' for 'that'. Now uncommon. Six copies on COPAC.

ONE: ALS from Dark to Brooks. The handwriting is quite atrocious, and the present transcription is at points tentative. Dark begins by recalling that at 'the delightful & very alcoholic Savage lunch' (i.e. lunch at the Savage Club), Brooks 'suggested that I should write an article for Truth. Perhaps because of the super-abundant alcoholic I have clean forgotten what the article was to he about. If you haven't & still want it, I might be able to write it.' The penultimate sentence is, to this cataloguer at least, indecipherable, apart from the words 'of course in a public sense'.

1p., 12mo. In envelope addressed to Giles at Moulsecoombe, Brighton. In good condition, lightly aged. He has looked for Giles's letter 'but cannot – yet – find it. Sorry. I vaguely remember it.' He will find Giles '2 tickets for a Dress Rehearsal if you will let me know which one.' Options of six operas, on six different days are listed, including Figaro and Giovanni.

On one side of 10.5 x 14.5 cm grey-blue card. In very good condition. Inscription in blue ink, beneath the letterhead (which includes email address and phone number): 'This is for the Autograph Auction next March. | Good luck, | Nina Bawden'.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged, with two punch-holes in margin. He has been reading Brooks's book ('Devil's Decade: Portraits of the Nineteen-Thirties') 'during a few days' holiday in Norfolk', and finds it 'excellent': Brooks has 'drawn a very accurate picture of Rothermere'. He proposes a time for them to 'meet again and have lunch'. He wonders whether Brooks 'ever came across that photograph of Northcliffe with Cecil Rhodes which I remember you mentioned you thought you had somewhere or other', asks for a sight of it.

1p., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. Closely written in red ink. He begins by thanking him for being 'awfully sweet & kind' in writing, before going on to deal with the state of his health, it having been 'a difficult time, especially as I became so ill – but at the moment things aren't too bad'. The results of 'all the horrible tests' in hospital have 'come out first class', and the 'weird symtoms [sic] have now been proved to have been caused by yet another of those unknown viruses which first of all attacked my guts & then my brain'.

The two volumes constitute the first and last volumes (the middle volume is missing) of a three-volume work described by its author as 'a more or less humorous account of a ramble round the Kentish Coast by two men'. This unpublished work constitutes a topographical and social narrative, written by the well-known artist and illustrator when in his eighties. Stylistically indebted to Jerome K.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. She is returning Cond's bookplate, which she has signed with great pleasure, and is very glad Cond has enjoyed 'A Calabash of Diamonds', which 'really was a thrilling adventure and I don't suppose we shall ever experience anything quite so exciting again'. The book was subtitled 'An African Treasure Hunt', and involved the search for a Zulu chief's burial place. Apparently 'Eileen Cond was a book collector who sent out her bookplate to her favorite authors, many of whom signed and returned them to her.'

1p., 12mo. Stained and on aged paper. Reads: 'THANK you most gratefully for your share of the Car, which is already in use, and saving me more than I can say. It is not too much to say that it halves my fatigue and makes my work a happiness instead of a burden. I do not like driving in a car while others go in 'buses, but since my lameness really hampers me, I console myself with the delightful thought that it has been given me by those who work in the same causes and towards the same end that I do, and that I shall work the better for their kindness.'

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. She apologises for the late reply to her 'nice letter', and has 'autographed the bookplate as you requested'. She ends with the question: 'Have you read my latest book, "A Prologue to Love"?' Note: Eileen Cond was an autograph collector who used to send her bookplate for sigining to significant contemporaries.

On one side of 7 x 10 cm piece of pink paper cut from an autograph album. In fair condition, lightly aged. In a bold, large hand, simply reads: 'Gracie Fields'.