Anabasis a poem by St.-J. Perse

London: Faber & Faber, 1930. First edition in English. French and English text on facing pages. 75 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Green cloth. Spine and edges a little toned, very good in dust jacket designed by Edward Bawden, printed in green, red, and black (some toning to edges, a few small chips along top, split along front spine fold). Inscribed. First edition in English. French and English text on facing pages. 75 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Eliot’s translation of Anabase by St.-John Perse (Alexis Leger), published by Gallimard in 1924.

Inscribed to his editor at Faber, “F.V. Morley from T.S. Eliot 27.v.30”

Gallup notes that while the press run (truncated) was 1650 sets of sheets, only some 500 were bound for publication in May 1930, as a second issue of 1101 copies was issued in 1937.

American-born Frank V. Morley (1899-1980) was the younger brother of Christopher Morley and a Rhodes Scholar who remained in England after taking his degree at Oxford. He was hired by Geoffrey Faber and befriended T.S. Eliot during his years with the firm. Eliot was awarded the Nobel prize in literature in 1948; St. John Perse was named the Nobel laureate in 1960. Gallup A16a (Inventory #: 369638)