GUDAITIS, Anthony

New York: William Faro, 1932

8vo, pp. 224. Original hessian boards, spine label lettered in red. Paper on rear pastedown a little split at spine.

First edition,... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

WILLIAMS, Kenneth

London: J.M. Dent, 1980

8vo, pp. 176. Original cream boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Photographic dustwrapper.

First edition, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BOB... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

GREGG, Hubert

London: William Kimber, 1980

8vo, pp. 170. Original red boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper.

First edition, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BOB... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

[pseud. WERTS, Gillian] NEWMAN, Andrea

London: Triton, 1968

8vo, pp. 189. Original orange boards, lettered in black to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper.

First edition, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BOB... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

STEINBERG, Saul

New York: Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1945

4to, unpaginated. Original tan cloth boards, lettered and illustrated in brown to front panel.

First edition, INSCRIBED AND... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

NORDEN, Denis

London: N.p. 1979

1p. ALS on headed notepaper.

ALS FROM DENIS NORDEN TO ANTHONY PARKER, 21 July 1979, ON HIS HEADED NOTEPAPER.

The letter congratulates... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

SUTHERLAND, Joan

Montreux: N.p., 1993

2pp. ALS on headed notepaper ('Joan Sutherland' over a floral design, light red on cream). Original envelope present, address handwritten, postmarked 23.11.93. Colour photograph of Sutherland and McKern on location for On Our Selection in Braidwood, Australia, taken the following year.

2pp. ALS FROM JOAN SUTHERLAND TO LEO MCKERN, FONDLY REMEMBERING THEIR RECENT MEETING AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER ON DAD AND DAVE: ON OUR SELECTION.

In 1994, four years after her retirement from the operatic stage, Dame Joan Sutherland returned to her native Australia to make what would turn out to be her only dramatic film: Dad and Dave:On Our Selection, written and directed by George Whaley. Based on the writings of Steele Rudd, the film, set in Queensland at the end of the nineteenth century, starred Geoffrey Rush, Ray Barrett, Noah Taylor -- and Leo McKern as Dad Rudd. Joan Sutherland played Mother Rudd, with not entirely satisfactory results, and the film, made to mark the centenary of the Australian film industry, was a failure with both critics and paying audiences.

This letter dates from the early days of Sutherland and McKern's association, is written on Sutherland's personalised notepaper and sent from her home in the Swiss village of Les Avants, and looks forward, albeit nervously, to the forthcoming shoot:

'[I]f nothing else convinced me to become involved in the film your honest, down-to-earthness did. I hope, if it all gets sorted out that I shan't be too much out of my depth!'

Accompanying the letter is a photograph, taken on location the following year, of a laughing Sutherland and McKern in costume.

[McKERN, Leo] REDGRAVE, Michael

N.p.: N.p., 1950

1p. headed notepaper.

1p. ALS FROM MICHAEL REDGRAVE TO LEO McKERN

Redgrave and McKern worked together on Redgrave's 1950... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

WALTERS, Thorley

London: N.p., 1982

1p. ALS on printed stationery.

1pp. ALS FROM THE ACTOR THORLEY WALTERS TO TV DIRECTOR ANTHONY PARKER.

In 1982 Walters appeared in and ... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

MANTEL, Hilary

London: Viking, 1995

8vo, pp. 250. Original black boards, lettered in silver on spine.

First edition SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR.

SOMERVILLE, E. OE, and ROSS, Martin [pseud. MARTIN, Violet]

London: Ivor Nicholson & Watson, 1932

Large 8vo, pp. 265. Original blue boards, lettered in black on red spine label to spine, Bushe coat of arms in gilt on red label to... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1980

4to, pp. 157. Original grey boards, lettered in light grey and black on front panel and spine.

First edition, INSCRIBED... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

ALLGOOD, Jill

London: Robert Hale, 1975

8vo, pp. 192. Original blue boards, lettered in silver to spine. Photographic dustwrapper.

First edition, INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO BOB... [please click on the image or book title for more details]"A.M." All kind wishes, Jill Allgood July 1975'. TLS FROM ALLGOOD TO HOLNESS LAID IN, THANKING HIM ONCE AGAIN FOR HER APPEARANCE ON HIS SHOW.

From 1975 to 1985, Bob Holness co-presented a morning radio show on London's LBC, and over the years amassed a large collection of inscribed copies of books whose authors had appeared on the show.

An excellent copy.

ATKINSON, Kate

London: Doubleday: 1995

8vo, pp. 333. Original blue boards, lettered in silver on spine.

First edition, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR.

Winner of the Whitbread... [please click on the image or book title for more details]

[BETJEMAN, John] DELANEY, Frank

London: Hodder & Stoughton/John Murray, 1983

Tall 8vo, pp. 233. Original dark green boards, lettered in gilt to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper, photographic portrait of... [please click on the image or book title for more details]