BARRIE, J. M.

£675 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

The Dramatists Get What They Want. First edition, first impression, number 15 of 25 copies, numbered and signed by Roger Lancelyn Green, together with slip "For Morton and Dick", presenting the volume to Morton N. Cohen (1921-2017), the eminent Lewis Carroll scholar, and his partner Richard Swift.Barrie's short play was written over the course of a single night while the writer was suffering from bronchitis. The subject was the censorship of plays and, as noted by Lancelyn Green, "the play is of considerable interest both as far as Barrie's career is concerned and in the history of the anti-censorship crusade". It was first produced in London at the Hippodrome as part of a revue entitled Hullo, Ragtime! on 23 December 1912. Although the revue ran for 451 performances, Barrie's contribution was soon dropped.Lancelyn Green notes that the play "is now printed for the first time, in an edition limited to twenty-five numbered and signed copies". The book was printed at The September Press in Wellingborough and bound by Clare Skelton.The distinguished children's author and biographer, Roger Lancelyn Green (1918-1987) was part of the Oxford "Inklings" group that included J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. It was partly due to encouragement from Lancelyn Green that Lewis published the Narnia Books. Lancelyn Green also worked on Lewis Carroll, and co-edited Carroll's collected letters with Morton N. Cohen.

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.