London: Secker & Warburg, 1979

8vo, pp. 186. Original burgundy boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Illustrated dust jacket, author's photographic portrait to rear flap. A fine, unread copy in a fine dust jacket.

First edition of Wilson's third novel, INSCRIBED TO HIS LITERARY EDITOR JOHN BLACKWELL: 'to John Blackwell who much improved it, and provided a title with best wishes Andrew Wilson April 1979'.

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. He was Tom Sharpe's editor, and was literary midwife to J. M. Coetzee, Michael Moorcock, John Banville, Tom McGuane, Malcolm Bradbury and Louis de Bernieres, among many others.

A fine copy.