GREENE, Graham. Babbling April, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, [April] 1925, 8°, FIRST EDITION, [limited to approximately 300 copies], signed by Graham Greene on title, original grey paper boards with title and author's name in blue on upper cover and spine, partly unopened (lacks dust-jacket, corner of one page torn without loss). [Wobbe A1; Miller 6a]

The Property of Clive Francis Clive Francis trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. In addition to West End appearances in The School for Scandal, The Common Pursuit, and The Importance of Being Earnest amongst others, and a year with Alan Ayckbourn's company at the National Theatre, he has made over 100 film and television appearances including, most recently, Denis Potter's Lipstick on your Collar. He is also well known as a caricature artist and his work has appeared on posters and book covers. It was during rehearsals in 1976 with the Royal Shakespeare Company for The Return of A. J. Raffles that he met its author, Graham Greene. The play was not a critical success. Afterwards, Greene wrote to him: "Anyway it was a very happy experience and an added pleasure in getting to know you." Greene and Francis remained friends and continued a correspondence up until the mid-1980s.

Details

GREENE, Graham. Babbling April, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, [April] 1925, 8°, FIRST EDITION, [limited to approximately 300 copies], signed by Graham Greene on title, original grey paper boards with title and author's name in blue on upper cover and spine, partly unopened (lacks dust-jacket, corner of one page torn without loss). [Wobbe A1; Miller 6a]

Lot Essay

A FINE SIGNED COPY OF GRAHAM GREENE'S FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK. Wobbe states: "A printing of 500 copies was planned but ... only 300 or so were ever issued ... Neither the book nor any of the poems have been reprinted."

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