London: Secker & Warburg, 1983

8vo, pp. 310. Original black boards, lettered in silver to spine. Illustrated dust jacket, author’s photographic portrait to rear panel. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket.

First edition, INSCRIBED BY BRADBURY TO HIS EDITOR JOHN BLACKWELL TO TITLE PAGE: ‘For John Blackwell -- with my gratitude, friendship, admiration and appreciation -- here is [printed title] Malcolm Bradbury 5 April 1983’. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

John Blackwell [1937-1997] joined Secker and Warburg in the late 1960s, when the imprint was still an independent company run by Fredric Warburg himself. He was a constant presence through the company's innumerable corporate takeovers, mergers and changes of managing director. As well as Bradbury, Blackwell was literary midwife to J. M. Coetzee, Michael Moorcock, John Banville, Tom McGuane, Tom Sharpe and Louis de Bernieres, among many others.

A fine copy, and an excellent association.