The Knack. A Comedy.

£1,400 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

The author’s copy, with her undated pencil ownership inscription on the front free endpaper, bold ink inscription on title page dated August 7 1977, and her presentation inscription “For Edward Elizabeth [sic] with love Ann 7 August 1977.” Additionally there are quite extensive notes on the rear endpapers and the text is beaten throughout with a few words of notes, all in pencil and apparently in Jellicoe’s hand. We’ve not been able to identify which production the notes refer to, but suspect that it is earlier than the inscription, and that it was given to Bond in friendship later. From the library of playwright Edward Bond, who maintained a long friendship with Jellicoe from their Royal Court days when both were members of the Writers’ Group founded in 1958, seemingly to her death in 2015. As befits a man who harboured his enmities closer than his friendships, there were few association copies of any significance in his library on his death in 2024. With her copy of the 1962 Faber “paper covered” edition of her first play The Sport of my Mad Mother inscribed to the Bonds on the same day, with two brief notes by her on the front free endpaper (covers and outer leaves somewhat stained by damp, but entirely sound), and the Faber 1975 edition of 3 Jelliplays, also inscribed identically.

• Year: 1964

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