Kemsley Newspapers Reference Book

by FLEMING, Ian - FLEMING, Ian (ed.)

$51,244 · Offered by Biblio

Signed

Kemsley House [Privately Published], [1947-8]. Small booklet (binding 133 x 95 mm; leaves 126 x 76 mm) comprising 64 ring-bound leaves and black card free endpapers, all in a pigskin binder, front cover lettered in gilt "Ian Fleming". Housed in a custom black cloth box. Coloured map ("Kemsley Newspapers Publishing Centres") on p. 99. Corners very slightly rubbed, minor tears to punched holes; a near near-fine copy. First and only edition. This is an exceptional association item comprising the author's copy of a handbook for journalists, devised by Ian Fleming as Foreign Manager of Kemsley Newspapers. As stated by Gilbert "this title represents Fleming's first book". This significant rarity first came to light when Fleming's substantial collection was transferred to the Lilly Library and the librarian, David Randall, identified it as Fleming's first book in 1972 (see The Book Collector). Randall stated that in the Lilly Library copy, pages 11-20 were blank, but marked "In Course of Preparation". Randall's request for information as to whether any other copy had survived either with or without the missing text did not receive a published reply, but another copy was subsequently sold to Iain Campbell, a Fleming bibliographer. Again there was no text on those leaves, and the vendor, a former member of the Kemsley Newspapers Foreign Department, stated that they were never printed. In the present copy, these pages have a printed text listing the staff of the Kemsley Newspapers. In

• Publisher: Kemsley House [Privately Published], [1947-8]
• Binding: unknown

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