Keep the Aspidistra Flying.

£1,000 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

Orwell’s fourth published book, a socially critical one in which the main character attempts to defy the importance of money. 3,000 copies were printed, with only 2,256 sold. Provenance: From the library of Orwell scholar and former UCL deputy librarian Ian Angus, with his neat pencilled ownership to the front free endpaper. Angus was the co-editor of Orwell’s Collected Journalism, Essays and Letters published in 1968 and also later contributed to editing the enormous 20-volume edition of Orwell’s Complete Works published 1997-8. Just about a very good copy overall, school prize bookplate to upper pastedown, a few other former owners’ inscriptions to front free endpaper, minor spotting to outer leaves, contents otherwise generally unmarked, heavy lean to text-block, light shelf wear to extremities, heavy red staining to rear cover. Fenwick A4a.

• Year: 1936

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